Family caregiver burden: the burden of caring for lung cancer patients according to the cancer stage and patient quality of life

Abstract

Objective: Patients with lung cancer experience different feelings and reactions, based on their family, social, cultural, and religious backgrounds, which are a source of great distress, not only for the patients but also for their family caregivers. This study aimed to evaluate the impact that lung cancer stage and quality of life (QoL) of lung cancer patients have on caregiver burden. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Consecutive patient-caregiver dyads were selected and asked to complete the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item ShortForm Health Survey (SF-36). Family caregivers also completed the Caregiver Burden Scale. Group-based modeling was used in order to identify patients with early- or advanced-stage cancer (IA to IIIA vs. IIIB to IV) plus non-impaired or impaired QoL (SF36 total score > 50 vs. ≤ 50). Patient-caregiver dyads were stratified into four groups: early-stage cancer+non-impaired QoL; advanced-stage cancer+non-impaired QoL; early-stage cancer+impaired QoL; and advanced-stage cancer+impaired QoL. Results: We included 91 patient-caregiver dyads. The majority of the patients were male and heavy smokers. Family caregivers were younger and predominantly female. The burden, QoL, level of anxiety, and level of depression of caregivers were more affected by the QoL of the patients than by their lung cancer stage. The family caregivers of the patients with impaired QoL showed a higher median burden than did those of the patients with non-impaired QoL, regardless of disease stage. Conclusions: Caregiver burden is more affected by patient QoL than by lung cancer stage.

Validation and preliminary data from a health‐related quality of life questionnaire for owners of dogs with cardiac disease

“…Assessment of the owners' hrQoL also might provide important information that can impact pets' care. Studies in people have shown that heart failure is associated with a high burden on the caregiver 10‐12 . Therefore, assessment of caregiver hrQoL can help to quantify an individual caregiver's burden and identify resources to address challenges and concerns that affect both the caregiver and the pets with cardiac disease.…”

“…Two instruments have been validated for the assessment of hrQoL for the caregivers of human heart failure patients 13,14 . Improving caregiver hrQoL can improve human patients' hrQoL and outcomes 10‐12 . This might be even more important in veterinary medicine given the option for euthanasia, where cost of care, prognosis given to the owner by the clinician, and QoL are all important factors in the decision‐making process 15,16 …”

Dispositional mindfulness, self‐compassion, and compassion from others as moderators between stress and depression in caregivers of patients with lung cancer

“…Up to 30% of caregivers of lung cancer report clinical depressive symptoms . Caregivers' higher depressive levels were associated with patients' high symptom distress, poor physical functioning, and advanced disease severity and caregivers' lack of support from others . Family caregivers often experience lack of time for self‐care, as well as decreased physical energy, social activities, and employment, which influences their physical and mental health .…”

“…4 Caregivers' higher depressive levels were associated with patients' high symptom distress, poor physical functioning, and advanced disease severity and caregivers' lack of support from others. 2,5,6 Family caregivers often experience lack of time for self-care, as well as decreased physical energy, social activities, and employment, 7,8 which influences their physical and mental health. 1,2,6 The stress from caregiving not only increases risk for depression 2 but also reduces their quality of care for their family members with lung cancer.…”

Are Disagreements in Caregiver and Patient Assessment of Patient Health Associated with Increased Caregiver Burden in Caregivers of Older Adults with Cancer?

“…Caregiver burden is a subjective feeling of stress that occurs when the demands of caregiving overwhelm caregiver resources to cope with those demands [2,3]. Patient factors (such as advanced cancer stage [4], health status [5], increased symptom burden, and decreased quality of life [QOL] [6][7][8]), caregiver factors (such as female gender [6,7,[9][10][11], age [5,10,[12][13][14], comorbidity [5], relationship to patient [15], education [14], and employment status [10]), and caregiving characteristics (such as increased duration of caregiving [7] and more help required by the patient [6,10,14]) are associated with increased caregiver burden. This information is typically obtained from patients or their caregivers.…”