Construction and Preliminary Evaluation of Dyadic Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Couples With Fear of Lung Cancer Recurrence

Inclusion Criteria

Patients:

* Diagnosis of primary lung cancer confirmed by pathological examination.
* Age ≥ 22 years for men and ≥ 20 years for women (legal marriage age in China).
* Have undergone lung cancer surgery and are scheduled to receive the first round of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy treatment
* Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form (FCRI-SF) score ≥ 13, indicating moderate-to-severe FCR.
* Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) ≤2.
* Aware of their diagnosis and willing to participate voluntarily.
* Normal cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment \[MoCA\] score ≥ 26), alert and conscious, and able and willing to communicate their thoughts.

Spouse Caregivers:

* Identified by the patient as the primary caregiver, providing ≥ 50% of care in the past 2 weeks.
* Legally married to the patient.
* Age ≥ 22 years for men and ≥ 20 years for women.
* Normal cognitive function (MoCA score ≥ 26), no diagnosed mental disorders, able to communicate effectively, and willing to share their thoughts.

Exclusion Criteria

Patients:

* Diagnosed mental disorders or currently receiving psychiatric treatment.
* Presence of personality disorders, intellectual disability, memory disorders, brain injury, or neurological disease.
* Concurrent malignant tumors in other organs.
* Severe complications (e.g., chest pain and/or dyspnea due to pleural tumor invasion).
* Spouse caregiver unwilling to participate.
* History of upper limb fractures or surgery resulting in impaired hand function.
* Participation in other similar psychological interventions.

Spouse Caregivers:

* Presence of serious comorbid conditions (e.g., respiratory failure, malignant tumors, or other critical illnesses).
* Patient unwilling to participate.
* Participation in other research studies.