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A RESEARCH STUDY OF Couplelinks.ca – The First Online Intervention for Young Women with Breast Cancer and their Male Partners

Why a program for younger couples?
 
The diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer not only affects the woman with the disease, but also her life partner. Challenges associated with breast cancer are often greater for younger couples who have to manage busy lives and multiple responsibilities alongside the illness.  
 
What is this research about?
 
This research is studyingCouplelinks.ca, a professionally facilitated online workshop tailored specially to the needs of young couples affected by breast cancer.  The 6-session program entails reading the web-based materials (topics include: mutual support, communication, intimacy, fertility and/or parenting concerns) and participating in weekly relationship-enhancement exercises.
 
The purpose of this research is to determine whether the Couplelinks program helps improve coping with cancer as individuals and as a couple. Eighty couples from across Canada will participate but only half will receive the workshop during the study, and the other half will be wait-listed. The two groups will then be compared on the same questionnaires to determine if Couplelinks.ca was helpful.  Participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at the start of their participation, and then at 2-month and 5-month time points.  Total maximum time commitment would be approximately 10 hours over a 5-month period. Enrollment begins January 2011 and continues for approximately 3 years. 
 
Who is eligible to participate?

  • Women must have a diagnosis of breast cancer without metastases
  • Women must be involved in a committed relationship with a male partner
  • Women who were 45 years of age or younger at the time of diagnosis (no restrictions on age of male partner)
  • Women who are within 36 months of their original diagnosis
  • Women can be at any stage of treatment or recovery from treatment; however, we find that it is easier to participate once active treatment has been completed

 
The principal investigator of this project is Dr. Deborah McLeod.Funding for this research is provided by the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Alliance/Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation:
 
For more information please contact:
Natasha Boutilier
E-mail: natasha.boutilier@cdha.nshealth.ca OR
Phone : (902) 473-6618