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  3. When Cancer Survivors Become Cancer Caregivers: Psychosocial Effects on Couples (RP404)

When Cancer Survivors Become Cancer Caregivers: Psychosocial Effects on Couples (RP404)

Objectives Describe the psychosocial impact of being a cancer survivor caring for a spouse with an advanced cancer diagnosis. Compare the psychosocial outcomes of those experiencing dual roles of cancer survivor and cancer family caregiver. Importance. As early detection and treatment improves, more people become cancer survivors, making it increasingly common that survivors eventually care for a spouse also diagnosed with cancer. Understanding these relationships is crucial to understanding patient-caregiver dynamics. Objective(s). Describe the impact of advanced cancer caregivers' personal history of cancer on their own and the patients' psychosocial outcomes using quantitative and qualitative methods. Method(s). Eighty-eight advanced cancer patients and their spouse caregivers completed questionnaires. Caregivers also completed a brief qualitative interview about coping strategies. Data from dyads including caregivers with and without a personal history of cancer were compared. Results. Eleven caregivers were cancer survivors. These caregivers were mostly white (n¼10), 64 years old on average, and married for 30 years (SD¼9.32). There were no significant differences in demographics, anxiety, or depression between survivors and non-survivors. Survivors reported higher preparedness for caregiving than non-survivors (t¼2.479, p¼.01). Patients whose caregivers were survivors reported higher depression symptoms than patients whose caregivers were not survivors (B¼2.371, SE¼1.009, t¼2.349, p¼.021). During interviews, only 3 survivor caregivers referenced their own cancer. Survivor caregivers did, however, report drawing upon shared cancer experiences from other family members and support groups as a coping strategy. Conclusion(s). Caregivers' personal cancer history may give them tools to prepare for caring for a spouse with cancer. However, they may prefer to focus on the patient rather than their own past experiences. Patients with a survivor caregiver may report higher levels of depression because of their own prior experience with cancer as a caregiver. Caregivers also reported not speaking with the patient about their own cancer experience, suggesting avoidance and/or a desire to avoid upsetting the patient by bringing up their own concerns. Impact. Cancer survivorship may impact caregiving for others with a cancer diagnosis. More research is needed to understand this relationship.

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Key Information

Type of Reference
Jour
Type of Work
Journal article
Publisher
Elsevier
ISBN/ISSN
0885-3924
Publication Year
2020
Issue Number
1
Journal Titles
Journal of Pain and Symptom Management
Volume Number
60
Start Page
216