• Meagan Whisenant, Morgan Jones, Sujin Ann-Yi, Victoria Necroto, Ashley Skrljac, Eduardo Bruera, and Kathrin Milbury.
• Department of Behavioral Science (M.J., V.N., K.M.), The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
• J Pain Symptom Manage. 2023 Aug 1; 66 (2): 160167.e3160-167.e3.

BackgroundEvidence-based interventions addressing the needs of couples co-parenting young children while facing an advanced cancer diagnosis are lacking. Thus, this study seeks to identify parenting-related intervention needs and delivery preferences of advanced cancer patients and their spouses/co-parents.MethodsTwenty-one couples completed quantitative measures of cancer-related parenting concerns, relationship and family functioning, and service needs along with individual semi-structured interviews.ResultsPatients (mean age=44 years, 48% female, 91% White) and spouses (mean age=45 years, 52% female, 91% White) reported family distress (62% of couples) and marital distress (29% of couples). Parenting concerns were generally high with patients revealing concerns particularly regarding the practical impact of the cancer on the child(ren). Spouses rated concerns about the co-parent significantly higher (P<.001) than patients. Parenting concerns were inversely associated with relationship (P<.001 for patients; P=.03 for spouses) and family functioning (P<.001 for patients). Themes identified through qualitative interviews include needs related to maintenance of family routines and traditions, childcare, transportation, meals, home maintenance, and finances. Couples who endorsed marital distress also indicated a need for conflict resolution skills. All patients and 89% of spouses would like to receive parenting-related education/services; up to 50% of couples preferred targeted, self-led readings without therapist support; and up to 50% desired counseling sessions indicating a preference towards dyadic and video conferenced intervention delivery.ConclusionsThe delivery of optimal supportive care involves a family-focused perspective such as screening for parenting status and referrals to social work services to address the need of tangible resources and manage parenting-related distress.Copyright © 2023 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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