scholarly journals Caregiving Burden, Stress, and Health Effects Among Family Caregivers of Adult Cancer Patients

JAMA ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 307 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Bevans ◽  
Esther M. Sternberg
2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. 9580-9580
Author(s):  
S. Kim ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
Y. Yun ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
S. Kim ◽  
...  

9580 Background: This study was aimed to investigate the employment status and work-related difficulties among family caregiver of terminal cancer patients compared with the general population. Methods: A survey was administered to 381 family caregivers of terminal cancer patients at 11hospitals and 994 general populations aged more than 18 years. Results: Family caregivers of terminal cancer patients were female (66.7%) and the patient's spouse (50.9%), with mean age of 46.8years (SD, 13.5). 212(56.1%) were working before cancer diagnosis, however, only 133(36.3%) continued working currently. Compared with the general population, 233(63.7%)family caregivers of terminal cancer patients were more likely to be not working (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] =2.39; 95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.73 to 3.29).Those who continued working reported more easy fatigability (40.6% vs 22.4%) and reduced working hours (20.3% vs 2.1%) than general population. For those doing housework, caregiving itself (56.4%) were identified to be the most common difficulties, followed by easy fatigability (32.3%). Major reasons for not working were providing care to the terminal cancer patients (24.0%). Older age (aOR=10.37; 95%CI=2.80 to 38.41), female sex (aOR=4.28; 95%CI=2.25 to 8.13), lower household income (aOR=2.19; 95%CI=1.19 to 4.06), bearing medical cost by other than spouse (aOR=2.10; 95%CI=1.05 to 4.19), and low performance status of the patients (aOR=2.00; 95%CI=1.01 to 3.95) were significantly associated with not working. Conclusions: When compared to the general population, family caregivers of terminal cancer patients were at risk job loss from their caregiving burden, and caregiving and easy fatigability were the major work-related difficulties. Our study might help make a strategy to reduce job loss for family caregivers' caregiving burden. No significant financial relationships to disclose.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Young Rha ◽  
Yeonhee Park ◽  
Su Kyung Song ◽  
Chung Eun Lee ◽  
Jiyeon Lee

Author(s):  
Venkata Phani Madhavi Kajana ◽  
Amaleswari Katta ◽  
Devi Madhavi Bhimarasetty

Background: A large number of patients with chronic diseases like cancer are cared for in homes by the family members. The vital role that these family members play as “caregivers” is well recognized. However, the burden on them is poorly understood. The objective of the study was to assess the caregiving burden among family caregivers of breast cancer patients and to explore the factors associated with high levels of caregiving burden among family members of breast cancer patients.Methods: A cross-sectional, hospital based study was conducted in a tertiary health care setting in Visakhapatnam A total of 45 primary caregivers who were accompanying the breast cancer patients to the Government Hospital were interviewed using Zarit burden interview. The socio demographic variables of the care givers like age, gender, occupation, income, relation with the patient were also obtained. Informed consent was obtained from the caregiver. Data analysis: Data was entered in the MS Excel spread sheet and it was analysed using SPSS software version 21.0.Results: The study population consisted of 26 (57.7%) males and 19 (42.3%) female caregivers. Very few 4 (9%) caregivers reported with no or mild burden during care giving. Majority 18 (40%) of the caregivers reported with mild to moderate burden, whereas 18 (40%) of the caregivers reported with moderate to severe burden. Few 5 (11%) reported with severe burden. Financial factors and uncertainty regarding the illness of the patient are associated with more burden.Conclusions: There is high burden among caregivers of cancer patients which should be addressed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 376-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun Young Rha ◽  
Yeonhee Park ◽  
Su Kyung Song ◽  
Chung Eun Lee ◽  
Jiyeon Lee

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1977
Author(s):  
Francesca Falzarano ◽  
Holly G. Prigerson ◽  
Paul K. Maciejewski

Cancer patients and their family caregivers experience various losses when patients become terminally ill, yet little is known about the grief experienced by patients and caregivers and factors that influence grief as patients approach death. Additionally, few, if any, studies have explored associations between advance care planning (ACP) and grief resolution among cancer patients and caregivers. To fill this knowledge gap, the current study examined changes in grief over time in patients and their family caregivers and whether changes in patient grief are associated with changes in caregiver grief. We also sought to determine how grief changed following the completion of advance directives. The sample included advanced cancer patients and caregivers (n = 98 dyads) from Coping with Cancer III, a federally funded, multi-site prospective longitudinal study of end-stage cancer care. Participants were interviewed at baseline and at follow-up roughly 2 months later. Results suggest synchrony, whereby changes in patient grief were associated with changes in caregiver grief. We also found that patients who completed a living will (LW) experienced increases in grief, while caregivers of patients who completed a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order experienced reductions in grief, suggesting that ACP may prompt “grief work” in patients while promoting grief resolution in caregivers.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Michèle Aubin ◽  
Lucie Vézina ◽  
René Verreault ◽  
Sébastien Simard ◽  
Éveline Hudon ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Diagnosis of cancer is emotionally threatening not only for patients but also for their family caregivers (FC) who witness and share much of the illness experience. This study compares distress experienced by lung cancer patients and their FC during the year following the diagnosis. Methods A prospective cohort study of 206 patients recently diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer (participation rate 79.5%) and 131 FC (participation rate 63.6%) was conducted in an ambulatory oncology clinic in Quebec City (Canada). They completed validated questionnaires regarding their personal and psychological characteristics (Hospital and Anxiety Depression Scale—HADS), in the first months after the diagnosis of lung cancer and after 6 and 12 months. Univariate, bivariate, and linear mixed models were conducted to compare patient and FC distress. Results At baseline, 7.8% of patients reported distress (HADS total score >15) and their mean distress score was 7.0 ± 4.9 (range 0–42). In contrast, 33.6% of FC presented significant distress and their mean distress score was 12.0 ± 7.2 (P < 0.0001). Proportions of patients and FC with distress remained relatively stable at 6 and 12 months, and at every time point, FC reported higher levels of distress compared to their relative with cancer (P < 0.0001). Comparable trends were found when looking at the mean scores of distress, anxiety, and depression throughout the study. Significance of results Being diagnosed with lung cancer and going through its different phases seems to affect more FC than patients. The psychological impact of such diagnosis appears early after the diagnosis and does not significantly change over time. These findings reinforce the importance for oncology teams, to include FC in their systematic distress screening program, in order to help them cope with their own feelings and be able to play their role in patient support and care throughout the cancer journey.


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