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Spouse cancer caregivers’ burden and distress at entry to home hospice

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: High-quality relationships may be protective for family caregivers. This study focuses on relationship quality categories (supportive and ambivalent) in spouse caregivers in cancer home hospice. The goals of this article are to, first, describe relationship quality categories among end-of-life caregivers and, second, test the effects of relationship quality categories on caregiver burden and distress within a stress process model. Using questionnaire data collected at entry to home hospice, we found relationship quality categories were proportionally similar to those seen in noncaregiver older adults. Relationship quality significantly predicted caregiver burden, which completely mediated the relationship between caregiver relationship quality and distress. Caregivers whose social contexts place them at risk for greater distress may benefit from increased clinical attention or intervention.

Source: Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

DOI: 10.1177/0265407515588220

Authors: Maija Reblin, Gary Donaldson, Lee Ellington, Kathi Mooney, Michael Caserta, Dale Lund

Institutions: University of Utah, California State University, San Bernardino

Language: English

Topic: Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: American Cancer Society, National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute