Emotional Needs of Caregivers and Patient/Spouse Couples During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)
Emotional Needs of Caregivers and Patient/Spouse Couples During Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT)
RATIONALE: Understanding the emotional needs of spouses or others who are living with and caring for patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation may help improve the quality of life of both the caregivers and the patients.
PURPOSE: This clinical trial is studying the emotional needs of caregivers of patients who have undergone stem cell transplant.
OBJECTIVES:
OUTLINE: Caregivers (CG) complete written questionnaires assessing demographics, positive and negative affect, dispositional inhibition, marital satisfaction, and physical health over 45 minutes to 1 hour on day 1. CG then engage in two oral emotional expression exercises (on the topic of caregiving and the transplant) over 2 hours on day 2. Patients are present for one oral emotional expression exercise.
Participants are followed at 2 weeks and 6 months.
PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 60 patient/spouse couples will be accrued for this study within 18 months.
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
In a marriage OR long-term, committed, heterosexual or homosexual, cohabiting relationship in which one member is post-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Patients must meet the following criteria:
At least 1 year since prior first bone marrow, stem cell, or umbilical cord blood transplantation
Diagnosis of malignancy, myelodysplasia, or non-malignancy
No indication of possible or confirmed relapse
Spouse/caregiver (CG) must meet the following criteria:
PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
Age
Performance status
Life expectancy
Hematopoietic
Hepatic
Renal
Other
PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
Biologic therapy
Chemotherapy
Endocrine therapy
Radiotherapy
Surgery