Openness and Avoidance in Couples Communicating About Cancer

Abstract

Open communication and avoidance are fundamental communication processes that have been studied across a range of communication contexts. Couples in which one person has cancer are a theoretically and practically important site for examining openness and avoidance. We review the cancer-related topics that couples find challenging, couples reasons for communicating openly or avoiding talk about cancer-related topics, outcomes of communication, features and strategies of communication, and individual, relational, and illness-related factors that may influence communication. The application of theories of open and avoidant communication suggests new directions for cancer research and has practical implications for interventions designed to assist couples. We also discuss needed changes in how we conceptualize and measure openness and avoidance. These suggested refinements are relevant across a wide range of contexts in which researchers study openness and avoidance.