Helping Her Heal Program - Group Program

Highlights

Understanding your partner’s experience with breast cancer
A cancer diagnosis is unwelcomed news for many and the whirlwind of tests, doctor visits, and uncertainty is a source of overwhelming distress. The medical community is becoming more aware and appreciative that this distress affects the person receiving the diagnosis as well as their friends, family, and their partners.

Men are no exception, and when their female partner receives a breast cancer diagnosis they may experience distress equal to, or even greater, than what their partners do.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer often rely on their partner as a primary source of support. But their male partners do not always know what their partners view as supportive often lack confidence in being able to understand their partner’s feelings or support her emotionally.

The ‘Helping Her Heal’ program was developed to enhance spouses’ skills and confidence to communicate and interpersonally support their partner during her cancer journey. The program aimed to improve depressed mood and martial adjustment in participating couples. This group intervention included short presentations delivered by the education councilor; skill building and efficacy enhancing exercises; and at-home skill building and efficacy enhancing assignments for the couple to complete together.

Recently, the Helping Her Heal program was piloted with 42 men at Princess Margaret Hospital.  Overall, the intervention  was well received by the participants and both quantitative and qualitative data provided preliminary support of its value.  Men’s self-reported skills and their confidence in self care and in supporting their spouses increased significantly from pre to post intervention.  In addition, the wives of participating husband’s had a significant improvement in mood.  Based on in-depth interviews conducted with a sub-sample of men (n=17) who participated in the program, it appears the t program helped the men recognize the importance of self care and gain valuable communication skills such as active listening and the use of open ended questions.  They also reported that  the program improved their understanding of their partner and understanding what she’s going through. The men also appreciated the support aspect of the group, and that it allowed them to bond with others by way of a shared experience.

A sub-sample of wife’s (n=17) was also interviewed to gain their perspectives on the impact of their husbands taking the HHH program.  They reported that the program improved her communication with her partner, strengthened their relationship, and made them feel that their husband was taking initiative and wanted to be very involved in her journey. This in and of itself was found to be a huge source of support.

This study, and studies like this, explores the cancer experience of patients and their immediate support network. This work is an example that programmatic support for patients and their families/friends/partners can have a significant impact on the experience of the patient during their cancer care.