Psychological resilience, dyadic coping, and dyadic adjustment in couples dealing with cervical cancer in Northwest China: A cross-sectional study

Purpose

To examine the relationship between dyadic coping and dyadic adjustment in patients with cervical cancer and their spouses in northwest China, and explore the mediating role of psychological resilience in this relationship.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June to October 2024 in two tertiary hospitals in Xinjiang Province, China; 260 patients with cervical cancer and their spouses were enrolled. Participants independently completed demographic and clinical questionnaires as well as Chinese versions of the Resilience Scale, Dyadic Coping Inventory, and Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model was employed to analyze dyadic data.

Results

Patients with cervical cancer and their spouses both exhibited actor effects (β = 0.197, P < 0.001; β = 0.342, P < 0.001) and partner effects (β = 0.276, P < 0.001; β = 0.264, P < 0.001) in the association between dyadic coping and dyadic adjustment. Regarding the mediating role of psychological resilience, spouses' dyadic coping directly affected patients' psychological resilience, and patients’ psychological resilience indirectly influenced their own dyadic adjustment (β = 0.061, 95% CI = 0.019, 0.121; β = 0.074, 95% CI = 0.019, 0.144).

Conclusions

Our findings suggested that psychological resilience plays an essential role in enhancing dyadic coping and cultivating dyadic adjustment among patients with cervical cancer and their spouses. Healthcare professionals should identify couples who have difficulty coping and adapting, and consider couple-centered dyadic resilience interventions to improve these behaviors.