Patients with advanced cancer and their spouses parenting minor children: The role of the relationship context in parenting concerns

Objective Patients with advanced cancer who parent minor children report parenting concerns and increased psychological distress. This cross‐sectional study seeks to understand parenting‐related issues in patients and spousal caregivers from a relationship perspective. Methods Patients with a metastatic solid malignancy and their spouses independently completed cross‐sectional assessments of psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), parenting concerns (Parenting Concern Questionnaire) and efficacy (Cancer‐Related Parenting Self‐Efficacy Scale), and relationship measures (DAS‐7, Couples' Illness Communication Scale, and Family Relationship Index). Results Of the 51 patients (57% female, 49% NHW, mean age 42 years) and spouses (43% female, 43% NHW, mean age of 42 years), approximately 50% couples endorsed psychological distress and were at risk for family dysfunction. Spouses reported significantly higher levels of parenting‐related concerns (t = −2.0, p