Development in quality of relationship between the significant other and the lung cancer patient as perceived by the significant other

AimTo prospectively explore the quality of the relationship between significant others and patients during lung cancer, based on the perceptions of the significant others.MethodIn a sample of 91 significant others, longitudinal data were collected during the first year after diagnosis, and explored on group level and as individual patterns over time.ResultsRelational quality was skewed towards high quality, although 30% of the significant others reported low levels close to diagnosis. Forty-eight percent reported stability in the quality of their relationship during the disease trajectory. Within this group, 36% reported low levels of relational quality. Fifty-two percent reported change in quality of relationship and four typical patterns of change were identified. Two showed approximate linear changes in either a positive direction (15%) or a negative direction (49%), and two showed non-linear changes with a temporary ascending curve (11%) or a descending curve (26%). This implies that a change towards low levels of relational quality was most common.ConclusionThe present results show that illness may be a trigger for change in relational quality, which may have implications for future family-centred practice and research, since previously high relational quality has been linked to improved emotional well-being.