Feasibility Study of an Online Intervention to Support Male Spouses of Women With Breast Cancer

Purpose/Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of a web-based psychosocial supportive intervention entitled Male Transition Toolkit (MaTT).

Design: Randomized, controlled trial, mixed methods, concurrent feasibility design.

Setting: Edmonton, a large metropolitan city in western Canada.

Sample: 40 dyads (women with breast cancer and their spouse).

Methods: Male spouse participants in the treatment group accessed MaTT for four weeks. Data on hope, quality of life, general self-efficacy, and caregiver guilt were collected at baseline and days 14, 28, and 56. Quality-of-life data were collected from the women with breast cancer at each time period. Qualitative data were collected from the usual care group in an open-ended interview and from the treatment group in an evaluation survey on days 14 and 28.

Main Research Variables: Feasibility, as measured by the MaTT questionnaire.

Findings: Evaluation survey scores indicated that MaTT was feasible, acceptable, and easy to use. Male spouse quality-of-life scores were not significantly different between groups. As guilt scores decreased, male spouses’ quality of life increased.

Conclusions: The findings provided useful information to strengthen MaTT and improve study design. Additional research is needed to determine its efficacy in improving male spouses’ quality of life.

Implications for Nursing: MaTT is a feasible intervention. Future research should evaluate MaTT with larger samples as well as determine the amount of time participants used MaTT.