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Relationship quality and burden among caregivers for late-stage cancer patients

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Abstract

Objective

This study explores how caregiver relationship quality with family, patient, and patient’s health care provider (HCP) is associated with subjective caregiver burden during the early treatment phase for late-stage cancer.

Method

Burden and relationship quality were assessed in telephone interviews with family caregivers (FCGs) of advanced cancer patients. The five subscales of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment measured burden, while relationships were measured with the Family Relationship Index, the Family Inventory of Needs subscale of met needs, and a scale assessing family discord in cancer communication.

Results

Multiple linear regression analyses in SPSS (v16) of 420 FCGs showed that higher quality relationship with family was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment, health, scheduling (p < 0.001) and finances (p < 0.01). Higher quality relationship with patients’ HCPs was associated with lower burden in FCG abandonment (p < 0.05), health, and finances (p < 0.001). More discordant communication in patient relationship was associated with lower financial burden (p < 0.05). Relationship quality was not associated with caregiver self-esteem.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrate that caregiver relationship quality with family and with HCP are important factors in understanding caregiver burden during the early treatment phase of late-stage cancer care.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge the funding sources for this project: National Cancer Institute, R01-CA10282; VA HSR&D Merit, IIR-03-255; and American Cancer Society, ROG-04-090-01.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CWRU at Metrohealth, Case Western Reserve University, 258 Rammelkamp Center, 2500 Metrohealth Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA

    Linda E. Francis

  2. CWRU at Metrohealth, Case Western Reserve University, 256 Rammelkamp Center, 2500 Metrohealth Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA

    Georgios Kypriotakis

  3. CWRU at Metrohealth, Case Western Reserve University, 243 Rammelkamp Center, 2500 Metrohealth Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA

    Julia H. Rose

  4. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, East Tennessee State University, PO Box 70259, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA

    Julie Worthington

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  1. Linda E. Francis
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  2. Julie Worthington
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  3. Georgios Kypriotakis
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  4. Julia H. Rose
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Correspondence to Linda E. Francis.

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Francis, L.E., Worthington, J., Kypriotakis, G. et al. Relationship quality and burden among caregivers for late-stage cancer patients. Support Care Cancer 18, 1429–1436 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0765-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0765-5

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