Systemic aspects of conjugal resilience in couples with a child facing cancer and marrow transplantation

INTRODUCTION: The negative impact of paediatric cancer on parents is well known and is even greater when intensive treatments are used. This study aimed to describe how couples whose child has received a transplant for the treatment of leukaemia view conjugal resilience and to evaluate the role of we-ness as a precursor of conjugal adjustment. METHODS: Four parental couples were interviewed. Interviews were analysed in two ways: inductive thematic analysis and rating of verbal content with the We-ness Coding Scale. RESULTS: Participants report that conjugal resilience involves the identification of the couple as a team and cohesion in the couple. Being a team generates certain collaborative interactions that lead to conjugal resilience. A sense of we-ness in parents is associated with fluctuation in the frequency of themes. DISCUSSION: Participants’ vision of conjugal resilience introduced novel themes. The sense of we-ness facilitates cohesion and the process of conjugal resilience.