Supporting Black breast cancer survivors and their informal caregivers: a qualitative dyadic analysis of intervention preferences

Sep 22, 2026

Cancer impacts both patients and the informal caregivers who support them, yet dyadic psychosocial interventions are seldom incorporated into routine clinical care, and few are designed with Black women in mind. This study amplified the experiences of Black breast cancer survivors and female caregivers to clarify their psychosocial intervention preferences. Semi-structured Zoom interviews from 20 participants (10 dyads) were coded and analyzed to identify five preference-related themes and an overarching dyadic perspective.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Lay Summary

Introduction

Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 2026, 60, kaag052 [https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaag052](https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaag052)[ ](https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaag052)Regular Article | Supporting Black breast cancer survivors and their informal caregivers: a qualitative dyadic analysis of intervention preferences
Tess Thompson, PhD, MPH*,1,, Emani Sargent, PhD, LMSW2,, Judith M. Mwobobia, MS3,, Christi M. Lero, LCSW2,, LaShaune P. Johnson, PhD4,, Naitra Ramchander, MPH, MSW2,, Serena Xiong, PhD, MPH5,, Aimee S. James, PhD, MPH6, | | --- | | 1School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States 2 Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States 3 Bursky School of Public Health, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
4 Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States 5 University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
6 Division of Public Health Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
*Corresponding author: Tess Thompson, PhD, MPH, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 325 Pittsboro St, CB3550, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States ([tess.thompson@unc.edu](tess.thompson@unc.edu)) .
Abstract
Background: Cancer affects not only patients but also their informal caregivers. Dyadic interventions hold promise but are rarely integrated into clinical care, and few have been developed for Black women in particular.
Purpose: We centered the voices of Black breast cancer survivors and female caregivers to understand their experiences with cancer and their preferences for psychosocial intervention.
Methods: Twenty survivors and their female, nonpartner caregivers (10 dyads) participated in semistructured Zoom interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed to examine themes related to psychosocial intervention preferences. Results: Five themes emerged: (1)“Being able to have that combination would be awesome”: Desiring an intervention that helps survivors and caregivers both separately and together,(2)“Whatever their preference is”: Tradeoffs to teleconferencing vs in-person interventions,(3)“Therapy scares people sometimes”: Pros and cons to terminology,(4)“I would just like to have more knowledge”: Proposed intervention topics and characteristics, and (5)“Cancer’s not a Black thing” vs “we really see things different”: A range of opinions about a service/program for Black women in particular. One overarching theme involved taking a dyadic perspective on intervention by considering the needs and preferences of both members of a pair. Conclusions: Participants expressed support for dyadic interventions, especially those that would address survivors and caregivers both as individuals and as a pair, and they described how caregivers in particular may have unmet needs for emotional support. Findings provide rich information about participants’ preferences and highlight the value and challenges of taking a dyadic approach to intervention.
Key words: breast cancer; cancer survivorship; caregiving; dyadic data; Black/African American women; qualitative research.
Lay Summary
Cancer affects not only patients but also the friends and family who provide them with support. Programs and services for patient-caregiver pairs hold promise but are rarely included in clinical settings, and few have been developed for Black women in particular. We centered the voices of Black women who had survived breast cancer and their female caregivers to understand their experiences with cancer and their preferences for mental health services. Zoom interviews with 10 survivors and 10 caregivers were analyzed. The team described 5 themes related to the interview questions: (1) participants wanted programs and services that help

FAQs

Why focus on dyadic interventions for breast cancer survivors and caregivers?

The study argues that cancer affects patients and their informal caregivers, and dyadic interventions may address the needs and preferences of both members of a pair. It also notes such approaches are rarely integrated into clinical care.

How were participants’ preferences for psychosocial interventions studied?

Twenty survivors and their female, nonpartner caregivers (10 dyads) completed semistructured Zoom interviews. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes related to intervention preferences.

What main themes emerged about intervention preferences?

Five themes were identified: preferences for combined help for both separately and together, tradeoffs between teleconferencing and in-person formats, terminology pros and cons, desired knowledge and proposed topics, and differing opinions about services/programs for Black women specifically.

Sep 22, 2026

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