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Psychosocial adjustment of family caregivers of head and neck cancer survivors

2009; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 18; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s00520-009-0641-3

1433-7339

Stephanie Ross, Catherine E. Mosher, Victor Ronis-Tobin, Sandy Hermele, Jamie S. Ostroff,

Family Caregiving in Mental Illness

This study examined the psychosocial adjustment and needs of family caregivers of head and neck cancer survivors at 6–24 months posttreatment. Family caregivers of head and neck cancer survivors (N=89) completed mailed questionnaires that assessed demographic variables, mental health, quality of life, and practical and informational needs. Thirty-eight percent of caregivers reported moderate to high distress. However, quality of life scores for the entire sample (N=89) were better than the scores reported in initial validation studies on caregivers of patients undergoing active cancer treatment. Greater time spent caregiving was associated with worse psychological well-being, but also more positive adaptation to caregiving. In addition, 39% of caregivers reported that all of their practical and informational needs were being met. Findings suggest that research and clinical efforts are needed to address the psychosocial concerns of this population.