Experiences of female partners of prostate cancer survivors: A systematic review and thematic synthesis

Anna Green; Natalie Winter; Michelle DiGiacomo; John L Oliffe; Nicholas Ralph; Jeff Dunn; Suzanne K Chambers

doi:10.1111/hsc.13644

Experiences of female partners of prostate cancer survivors: A systematic review and thematic synthesis

Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Jul;30(4):1213-1232. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13644. Epub 2021 Nov 10.

Authors

Anna Green¹, Natalie Winter², Michelle DiGiacomo¹, John L Oliffe^{3

4}, Nicholas Ralph^{5

6

7}, Jeff Dunn^{5

6

8

9}, Suzanne K Chambers^{5

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ IMPACCT (Improving Palliative, Aged and Chronic Care through Clinical Research and Translation), Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.
² School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
³ School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
⁴ Department of Nursing, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.
⁶ Division of Research and Innovation, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Queensland, Australia.
⁷ School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
⁸ Cancer Council Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁹ Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Exercise Medicine Research Institute, Edith Cowan University, Perth, WA, Australia.
¹¹ Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia.

PMID: 34761456
DOI: 10.1111/hsc.13644

Abstract

The purpose of this systematic review and synthesis of studies reporting qualitative data was to understand the gendered experiences of female partners of prostate cancer survivors to inform psychosocial support for women. We searched Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Sociological Abstracts for articles on 15 and 16 April 2019, and again on 30 November 2020. English language articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included if they reported solely on findings describing the perspectives of the female partners. Extracted data were analysed using line-by-line coding, organisation of codes into descriptive themes, and development of analytical themes. A theoretical framework was then selected to organise the relationships between issues that were found to be central to the experiences of female partners. Of 4839 articles screened, 14 met inclusion criteria, reporting 13 studies with a total sample of 359 female partners. Ussher and Sandoval's theory to describe the gendered positionings of cancer caregivers accommodated the thematic findings. The overarching theme reflected the substantive psychosocial impact of prostate cancer on female partners. Women's experiences were influenced by self-positioning (as part of a couple; provider of support to their male partner; resilient; and guided by faith and spirituality), being positioned by their partners' response (manager of male partner's psychological distress or strengthened by male partner's positive response) and by their broader contexts (family members and social networks; clinicians and the health system; and cultural values and customs). Findings highlight the need to avoid reductionist approaches to gender. Greater consideration of 'contextualised femininities', or conceptualising the influence of gender roles, relations, and identities within the wider life course contexts of female partners is required in the design and delivery of psychosocial support services.

Keywords: Prostate cancer; female partners; gender; positioning theory; qualitative research; systematic review.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Cancer Survivors*
Family
Humans
Male
Prostate
Prostatic Neoplasms* / therapy
Qualitative Research