TY - JOUR
T1 - Depression and family interaction among low-income, predominantly hispanic cancer patients
T2 - A longitudinal analysis
AU - Oh, Hyunsung
AU - Ell, Kathleen
AU - Subica, Andrew
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The research project was funded by grant R01-CA105269 from the National Cancer Institute. This present article was supported by Hamovitch Center for Science in the Human Services' Summer Training Funding for PhD students. The authors thank Pey-Jiuan Lee and Dr. Lei Duan for invaluable support in data collection and analysis and Charli Engelhorn for exceptional editorial support.
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Purpose: Among cancer patients, family interaction has been associated with depression. According to the stress generation theory, depression among cancer patients triggers stressful interpersonal events that contribute to poor family interactions and additional depression. This conflict may occur with a spouse/partner or other family member, including extended family. This study evaluated the longitudinal association between depression and marital and family conflict among low-income, predominantly Hispanic cancer patients. Methods: Data were collected during a randomized controlled clinical trial of depression treatment among 472 low-income cancer patients with baseline depression scores of 10 or more on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and whose depression symptoms and negative family interactions were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Considering that not all participants were in an intimate relationship, only 237 participants were included in the analysis of marital conflict. Mixed linear modeling with and without decomposition of between- and within-person variability was conducted to examine the longitudinal association between family interaction and depression. Results: Overall, family conflict was significantly associated with changes in depression over time, and marital conflict was significantly associated with mean depression levels over 2 years. In addition, within-subject change in both marital and family conflict was significantly associated with within-patient deviation from average depression levels. Conclusions: Findings provide evidence of an association between depression and negative family interaction among depressed cancer patients. Cancer patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms may benefit from clinical assessment and psychotherapy relevant to family interaction.
AB - Purpose: Among cancer patients, family interaction has been associated with depression. According to the stress generation theory, depression among cancer patients triggers stressful interpersonal events that contribute to poor family interactions and additional depression. This conflict may occur with a spouse/partner or other family member, including extended family. This study evaluated the longitudinal association between depression and marital and family conflict among low-income, predominantly Hispanic cancer patients. Methods: Data were collected during a randomized controlled clinical trial of depression treatment among 472 low-income cancer patients with baseline depression scores of 10 or more on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and whose depression symptoms and negative family interactions were assessed at baseline and at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Considering that not all participants were in an intimate relationship, only 237 participants were included in the analysis of marital conflict. Mixed linear modeling with and without decomposition of between- and within-person variability was conducted to examine the longitudinal association between family interaction and depression. Results: Overall, family conflict was significantly associated with changes in depression over time, and marital conflict was significantly associated with mean depression levels over 2 years. In addition, within-subject change in both marital and family conflict was significantly associated with within-patient deviation from average depression levels. Conclusions: Findings provide evidence of an association between depression and negative family interaction among depressed cancer patients. Cancer patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms may benefit from clinical assessment and psychotherapy relevant to family interaction.
KW - Depression
KW - Family conflict
KW - Family interaction
KW - Longitudinal study
KW - Marital conflict
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84896051574&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84896051574&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-013-1993-2
DO - 10.1007/s00520-013-1993-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 24091718
AN - SCOPUS:84896051574
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 22
SP - 427
EP - 434
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 2
ER -