Associations of Daily Partner Responses With Fatigue Interference an Relationship Satisfaction in Colorectal Cancer Patients

Objective: This study investigates the associations of daily partner responses toward patient's fatigue and well behavior with patient's fatigue interference and relationship satisfaction. The moderating effect of fatigue severity was also examined. Method: In an intensive longitudinal design, patients treated for colorectal cancer and their partners (n = 101 dyads) completed diaries for 14 days. Patients and partners reported on partner responses toward patient's fatigue behavior (e.g., resting). partner responses toward patient's well behavior (e.g., being active), and fatigue severity. Patients also indicated their fatigue interference and relationship satisfaction. Multilevel modeling was applied to assess within-person main and interaction effects. Results: Patient-reported solicitous responses toward fatigue behavior and negative responses toward well behavior were associated with increases in fatigue interference, while facilitative responses toward well behavior were associated with a decrease in fatigue interference. The latter two associations were intensified on days patients reported relatively high fatigue. Solicitous responses toward fatigue behavior and facilitative responses toward well behavior were also associated with increases in relationship satisfaction. Punishing responses toward fatigue behavior were associated with a decrease in relationship satisfaction, especially on days patients reported higher fatigue. Models using partner reports largely confirmed the main effects of partner responses on fatigue interference and relationship satisfaction but failed to reproduce the moderating effect of fatigue. Conclusions: Daily partner responses appear to impact patients' fatigue adjustment, especially on days patients experience high fatigue levels. Only facilitative responses toward well behavior seem to benefit both patients' fatigue interference and relationship satisfaction. Couple interventions should guide partners to encourage patients' well behavior and aid them to correctly estimate patients' current fatigue severity.