The Effect of Communication on Marital Adjustment of Cancer Patients and their Spouses - Focusing on the Actor Effect and Partner Effect -

암환자와 배우자의 부부적응에 대한 부부의사소통의 영향 - 자기효과와 상대방효과를 중심으로 -

Recently, problems regarding marital adjustment of cancer patients are recognized as serious matter of concern for it had been reported that these issues have severe negative effects on relationship stability within marriage. It is noteworthy how marital adjustment is found to be critical for the cancer patient's mental stability, healing process and chances of survival as reported in the research. Thus, the ultimate goal of this research is to contribute to improvement of the stable relationship and also to formulate the social service related strategy for marriage adjustment for married cancer patient married couples in Korea. Actor and Partner Interdependence Model was formed in order to observe how the communication of the married couple affects marital adjustment and how this has an actor effect as well as partner effect. In order to authenticate this research model, dyadic data which sample the cancer patient and the spouse as a pair. Survey was conducted as the cancer patients who had been diagnosed with cancer and their respective spouses. The survey was taken from 160 married couples which totals to 320 people all together. Results indicated the cancer patient and the spouse have a significant relationship in marital adjustment. Through this, it had been concluded that marital adjustment is not separated but co-dependent with dynamic relationship. And the mutual constructive communication had proven to have a significant positive effect on one's marital adjustment. In demand-withdrawal communication, its negative effect on the self effect was found to be significant in both the patient and the spouse to both of their marital adjustment. Mutual avoidance communication had shown to only cause significant negative effect on self effect to the patient. In verifying the partner effect, significant negative effect was caused by patient's demand-withdrawal communication in partner effect on the spouse's marital adjustment. The results of this study are discussed in term of their implications for clinical interventions for the betterment of marital adjustment among cancer patients and their spouses. The suggestions for future research are discussed also.

암환자에게 부부적응은 심리적인 안녕 뿐만 아니라 치료경과 및 생존율에 영향을 미치는 것으로 보고되고 있어 이들의 부부적응을 도모하기 위한 사회복지 노력과 관심이 절실히 필요하다 하겠다. 이에 본 연구는 암환자와 배우자의 커플자료를 수집하여 이들의 부부적응에 대해 조사하였으며, 기초자료가 미비한 실정에서 부부관계의 지표로 부부적응에의 필수고려 요인으로 지목되고 있는 부부의사소통의 영향을 조사하였다. 또한 암환자와 배우자의 상호의존성을 고려하여 부부의사소통이 부부적응에 미치는 영향을 자기 자신에게 미치는 영향(자기효과), 상대방에게 미치는 영향(상대방효과)을 고찰하였다. 이를 통해 부부적응에 긍정적 부부의사소통의 중요성을 제시하였으며, 부정적 의사소통 유형인 요구-철회의사소통에서 환자의 배우자에 대한 상대방효과가 유의한 것으로 나타나 환자에 대한 의사소통 교육에의 필요성을 제시하였다. 이러한 연구결과를 바탕으로 실천적 함의 및 후속연구에 대한 제언을 제시하였다.