Couples Therapy to Enhance Intimacy Between Patients With Advanced or Recurrent Prostate Cancer and Their Partners

OBJECTIVES:

- Determine the feasibility of Intimacy-Enhancing Couples Therapy (IECT) for patients with
advanced or recurrent prostate cancer and their partners.

- Compare the effect of IECT vs usual care on patients' and their partners' level of
global psychological distress.

- Compare the effect of IECT vs usual care on relationship intimacy in these participants.

OUTLINE: This is a randomized, controlled, pilot, multicenter study. Patients are stratified
according to marital distress based on partners' scores on the Abbreviated Dyadic Adjustment
Scale (high [< 21] vs low [≥ 21]). Patients and their partners are randomized to 1 of 2 arms.

- Arm I: Patients and their partners receive Intimacy-Enhancing Couples Therapy over 6
weeks comprising the following four 90-minute sessions: the Story of Cancer;
Understanding the Couple, Ways of Relating and Key Influences; Intimacy; and Coping,
Support, and Adaptation. Patients and their partners complete treatment satisfaction
questionnaires after completion of study intervention.

- Arm II: Patients and their partners receive standard psychosocial care. All participants
complete questionnaires assessing psychological distress, intimacy, communication
patterns, and overall relationship adjustment/satisfaction at baseline and at 1 month
after completion of study intervention.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

- Diagnosis of primary prostate cancer

- Advanced or recurrent disease

- Receiving concurrent hormonal therapy

- Married and/or co-habitating with a partner for ≥ 1 year

- T-score > 50 on Brief Symptom Inventory-18 questionnaire (patient and/or partner)

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

- Normal cognitive functioning

- Able to speak and read English

- No significant hearing impairment that would preclude study participation

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

- See Disease Characteristics