The role of daily couple communication in the relationship between illness representation and fear of cancer recurrence in breast cancer survivors and their spouses

Objective Previous studies have shown the significance of illness representation in maintaining of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR). The current study explored the association of illness representation and fear of cancer recurrence in daily life among breast cancer survivors and their spouses, considering the role of daily couple communication. Methods A total of 54 couples in which the wives were breast cancer survivors were recruited to complete Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and to report their communication information and fear of cancer recurrence in daily life. Results At the between-person level, individuals with severer illness representation were likely to express more negative and less positive information in daily life, irrespective of whether they were patients or spouses. At the within-person level, perceptions of positive information acted as a mediator between disclosures of positive/negative information and changes in FCR. Conclusions There were interactions of the relationship of illness representation to FCR between breast cancer survivors and their spouses. Daily couple communication played critical roles in the association between illness representation and FCR.