Dyadic effects of family resilience on quality of life in patients with lung cancer and spousal caregivers: The mediating role of dyadic coping

This study explored the effects of family resilience on quality of life (QOL) and examined whether dyadic coping mediates these effects in patients with lung cancer and their spousal caregivers.In total, 313 dyads were recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Fujian Province, China, between March and July 2022. Study participants independently completed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics questionnaires, the Shortened Chinese version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale, the Dyadic Coping Inventory, and the 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Data analysis utilized the actor-partner interdependence mediation model (APIMeM).Family resilience of both patients with lung cancer and their spouses were positively and directly associated with their own QOL, which was mediated by dyadic coping. Family resilience did not significantly influence the partners' QOL. The APIMeM model produced acceptable fit (χ2/df = 2.857, RMSEA = 0.077, CFI = 0.992, TLI = 0.941, and NFI = 0.998).Dyadic coping mediated both actor and partner effects between family resilience and QOL, and there was no significant direct partner effect between individual family resilience and their partner's QOL. The development of efficient family- or dyad-based interventions is essential to improve family resilience and encourage dyadic coping strategies among patients with lung cancer and their spousal caregivers who experience poor family resilience and low dyadic coping. Such interventions have the potential to enhance QOL for both parties.