Cancer Caregivers' Quality of Life: Effects of Gender, Relationship, and Appraisal (original) (raw)
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Gender differences in caregiving stress among caregivers of cancer survivors
Psycho-Oncology, 2006
Despite a growing body of research on male caregivers, limited information is available on male caregivers of cancer survivors. Furthermore, few studies have examined the unique contribution of caregiver esteem as well as carerecipient's functional status as potential mediators of the link between gender and caregiving stress. Thus, the present study examines how the caregiver's perception of providing care to a spouse with cancer differs by gender. The proposed mediators, caregiver's esteem and care-recipient's psychosocial and physical functioning, were tested simultaneously, utilizing structural equation modeling. Results revealed that both caregiver's esteem and carerecipient's psychosocial functioning were significant mediators, but in different directions. Specifically, husband caregivers reported higher caregiver's esteem, which resulted in reporting less stress from providing care to their wife with cancer. On the other hand, when husband caregivers provided care to their wife with poorer psychosocial functioning, they reported greater stress from caregiving. Husband caregivers will benefit from programs designed to educate them to effectively assist their wife's psychosocial adjustment to cancer by reducing their stress from providing care.
Patterns of Caregiver Experiences Among Partners of Cancer Patients
The Gerontologist, 2000
This study describes patterns of caregiving experiences in partners of patients with cancer ( N ϭ 148) over a 6-month period. Caregiving experiences were assessed by means of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment Scale (CRA), which consists of four negative dimensions and one positive subscale: Disrupted Schedule, Financial Problems, Lack of Family Support, Loss of Physical Strength, and Self-Esteem. Subgroup analyses were performed according to gender, age, and socioeconomic status (SES). Type, size, and direction of changes in caregiving experiences over time were analyzed both at a group level and at an individual level. Patterns of caregiver experiences appeared to vary between the subgroups; women, younger caregivers, and caregivers with a higher SES experienced caregiving more negatively or less positively. The findings illustrate the value of studying inter-and intraindividual patterns across different subgroups, and stress that caregiver experiences should be regarded as a multidimensional concept that includes both negative and positive experiences of caregiving.
Determinants of caregiving experiences and mental health of partners of cancer patients
Cancer, 1999
Research regarding informal caregiving showed considerable individual variation in responses to cancer caregiving. The current longitudinal study examined determinants of caregiver outcomes in terms of caregiver experiences at 3 months and caregiver's mental health at 6 months after hospital discharge. It included both negative and positive dimensions of caregiving outcomes.
The effect of family appraisal on caregiver burden in family caregiver of female cancer patients
International Journal of Public Health Science (IJPHS), 2023
The growing prevalent of female cancer malignancies and the cancer care transition from clinical-based into home-based care have resulted in the growing involvement of family caregiver (FCG) in cancer management. The caregiving activity may be appraised as positive or negative life aspect. Negative family appraisal may result in FCG burden. This study expected to examine the effect of FCG appraisal of cancer caregiving on their burden in community context. This cross-sectional study involved 60 FCG of female cancer patients in five communities of Surabaya. Population was all primary FCG of female cancer patients in Surabaya's communities. Family appraisal and caregiver burden were measured by questionnaires of family appraisal of caregiving questionnaire for palliative care (FACQ-PC) and caregiver burden inventory (CBI) respectively. Data analysis utilized descriptive statistic and simple linear regression tests. Most respondents were spouses with very mature age (41-50 years old), high school graduated, and working with sufficient income. The majority appraised cancer caregiving activities positively (80.67±16.31) and reported low burden (32.02±12.23). FCG appraisal has a huge impact on their burden (p=0.000). It influences 20.7% variance of burden in this population (R 2 =0.207).
Spouses' experience of caregiving for cancer patients: a literature review
International Nursing Review, 2013
The spouse is generally the primary informal caregiver for cancer patients. Many studies have explored the experience of caregiving for cancer patients, but it is unclear whether there are gender differences in the spousal caring experience for cancer patients. Aim: This review describes the recent published research on the stress process of spousal caregiving experience for cancer patients, and aims to identify any gender differences in the caregiving experience. Methods: Electronic, manual and author's searches were conducted. Articles included were published in English and Chinese, from January 2000 to March 2012. Study population is couples coping with cancer. Focus is on caregiving experience for spouse with cancer, and findings include both male and female spousal caregivers in quantitative studies. The databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, PsycINFO and the China Academic Journal Full-text Database. The key search terms used were 'cancer' or 'oncology' or 'carcinoma' AND 'caregiver' or 'caregiving' or 'carer' AND 'gender differences' or 'gender' AND 'spouse' or 'couple' or 'partner' . Spousal caregiving experiences of cancer patients were explored by adopting the 'stress process' of the Cancer Family Caregiving Experience Model from the gender perspective. Results: Twenty-five articles were identified and included in this review. It was revealed that female spousal caregivers perceived higher level negative experience in caregiving, such as lower mental health, lower physical health, poorer health-related quality of life, lower life satisfaction and decreased marital satisfaction than male spousal caregivers. However, female spousal caregivers are more likely to experience personal growth than male spousal caregivers. Conclusion: This review identified that female spousal caregivers for cancer patients had higher levels of negative experience in caregiving. A better understanding of the spousal caregiving experience will provide healthcare professionals with the information needed to develop interventions to support and prepare spousal caregivers to care for their loved ones with cancer.
Psychosocial Burden of Family Caregivers to Adults with Cancer
Recent Results in Cancer Research, 2013
To understand family caregivers' needs for better preparation and care, this state-of-the-science review examines the effect of caregiving on the health and well-being of caregivers, the efficacy of research-tested interventions on patient and caregiver outcomes, implications of the research on policy and practice, and recommendations for practice and future research.
Quality of life of family caregivers of cancer survivors
Cancer, 2008
BACKGROUND. Cancer affects not only the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with the disease but also that of their family members and close friends. The impact on various aspects of the family caregivers' QOL is significant throughout the trajectory of the illness. The authors reviewed literature on the QOL of family caregivers at the acute and middle-to long-term survivorship phases as well as the bereavement phase. METHODS. By using several databases, the authors searched the literature published in English from 1996 through July 2007. Keywords searched included cancer, carcinoma, family, family member, caregivers, and quality of life. Several criteria were used to guide the literature review: Articles had to be published in refereed journals and had to use rigorous methods, sample, and validated measures. RESULTS. The findings suggested that the QOL of family caregivers of individuals with cancer varies along the illness trajectory. This highlights were importance of assessing the ongoing adjustment of the caregivers over time. However, there were few theory-driven studies, and significant gaps remain in the current understanding of the effects of family caregiving beyond the time of diagnosis and treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Accumulating evidence has supported the concept that cancer affects not only the patients/survivors but also their family members. However, theoretically and methodologically rigorous research on various aspects of the family's QOL, including not only the psychological but also the physical, spiritual, and behavioral adjustment to cancer in the family, remains sparse. Family-based interventions across the trajectory of the illness also are needed.
BMC Cancer, 2014
Background: Seriously ill patients often depend on their informal caregivers to help and support them through the disease course. This study investigated informal cancer caregivers' experiences of caregiving tasks and consequences and how caregiver status (primary vs. non-primary caregiver) and the caregiver's relationship to the patient (spouse/partner, etc.) are related to these experiences. Methods: In a cross-sectional questionnaire study, randomly selected cancer patients with a range of diagnoses and disease stages were invited to pass on the 'Cancer Caregiving Tasks, Consequences and Needs Questionnaire' (CaTCoN) to 1-3 of their caregivers. Results: A total of 590 caregivers related to 415 (55% of 752 eligible) cancer patients participated. Large proportions of caregivers experienced substantial caregiving workload, e.g., provision of psychological support (74%), as well as a range of negative consequences, most commonly stress (59%). Some caregivers experienced personal growth, but relatively large proportions did not. Caregiver status and the caregiver's relationship to the patient were associated with some caregiving aspects. Primary caregivers experienced the highest caregiving workload, and non-primary caregivers experienced most problems with getting time off from work. Spouses/partners and/or parents experienced the highest workload, most lack of time for social relations, most financial difficulties, and had the greatest need for seeing a psychologist. They furthermore experienced the highest degree of personal growth and had the smallest need for living a normal life while being a caregiver. Yet, regarding the majority of caregiving aspects, no associations with caregiver status or the caregiver's relationship to the patient were found. Conclusions: Overall, the findings confirm that cancer caregiving is burdensome. The primary and the closest caregivers seemed to take on most caregiving tasks, but, contrary to expectations, regarding the majority of caregiving consequences non-primary and more distant caregivers were affected to the same degree as the primary and closest caregivers. Initiatives and interventions to support not only the primary caregivers are therefore warranted.