Cross-lagged analysis of financial toxicity and psychological distress between breast cancer patients and spouses during chemotherapy: an actor–partner interdependence model

作者：Qīng Wáng, Lili Wang, Tingting Wang, Lili Li, Xiaoping Pang, Weijuan Yang · 发表于：Frontiers in Public Health · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3389/fpubh.2026.1838284 · 研究领域：Economic and Financial Impacts of Cancer、Cancer survivorship and care、Family Support in Illness

Aim To explore the longitudinal interaction between financial toxicity and psychological distress in breast cancer patients and their spouses based on the actor-partner interdependence model. Methods Convenience sampling method was used to select 258 breast cancer patients and their spouses as the research partners. The financial toxicity scale and distress thermometer were used to investigate the patients in the early stage (T1), the middle stage (T2) and the end of chemotherapy (T3). Results The actor effects of financial toxicity on psychological distress were significant for both breast cancer patients and their spouses. Specifically, the level of financial toxicity in patients significantly predicted their own psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = −0.19, T2 → T3: β = −0.18, both p < 0.001), and the level of financial toxicity in spouses significantly predicted their own psychological distress at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = −0.15, T2 → T3: β = −0.14, both p < 0.01). The actor effects of psychological distress on financial toxicity were also significant. That is, the level of psychological distress in patients significantly predicted their own financial toxicity at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = −0.18, T2 → T3: β = −0.17, both p < 0.01), and the level of psychological distress in spouses significantly predicted their own financial toxicity at the next time point (T1 → T2: β = −0.16, T2 → T3: β = −0.15, p < 0.01). T...