Abstract
This study aimed to elucidate whether gynecologic cancer patients and their support persons have certain expectancies for emotion and whether these expectancies, if they exist, affect cancer-related communication. Semi-structured interviews ( N = 34) were conducted separately with 18 patients and one of their support persons ( n = 16). Thematic analysis revealed a subset of patients and support persons expected patients to not have any negative emotions, which patients also reported they perceived from support persons, and that these expectancies could affect cancer-related communication. These results have implications and can facilitate appropriate recommendations for how cancer patients and support persons co-manage patients’ emotions.