European Journal of Oncology Nursing
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 128-136 , April 2009

Exploring the other side of cancer care: The informal caregiver

  • Evridiki Papastavrou

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology, 215, Dromos Lemesou, 2252 Latsia, Nicosia, Nicosia 2252, Cyprus
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding authors. Tel.: +357 99545021.
    • Tel.: +357 22001605.
    • ,
  • Andreas Charalambous

      Affiliations

    • School of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Cyprus University of Technology, 215, Dromos Lemesou, 2252 Latsia, Nicosia, Nicosia 2252, Cyprus
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding authors. Tel.: +357 99545021.
    • ,
  • Haritini Tsangari

      Affiliations

    • University of Nicosia, Cyprus

References 

  1. Annestedt L, Emstahl S, Ingvad B, Samuelsson SM. Family caregiving in Dementia: An analysis of the caregiver’s burden and the “breaking point” when home care becomes inadequate. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health. 2000;28:23–31
  2. Braun M, Mikulincer M, Rydall A, Walsh A, Rodin G. Hidden morbidity in cancer: spouse caregivers. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2007;25(30 (October 20)):4829–4834
  3. Boyle P, Ferlay J. Cancer incidence and mortality in Europe, 2004. Annals of Oncology: Official Journal of the European Society for Medical Oncology/ESMO. 2005;16(3):481–488
  4. Cain R, Maclean M, Sellick S. Giving support and getting help: informal caregivers' experiences with palliative care services. Palliative & Supportive Care. 2004;2(3):265–272
  5. Chan CW, Chang AM. Stress associated with tasks for family caregivers of patients with cancer in Hong Kong. Cancer Nursing. 1999;22(4):260–265
  6. Charalambous A, Papadopoulos R, Beadsmoore A. Listening to the voices of patients with cancer their advocates and their nurses: a hermeneutic-phenomenological study of quality nursing care. European Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2008;12(5):436–442
  7. Cho MH, Dodd MJ, Lee KA, Padilla G, Slaughter R. Self-reported sleep quality in family caregivers of gastric cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy in Korea. Journal of Cancer Education: the Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Education. 2006;21(1 Suppl):S37–S41
  8. Chumbler NR, Grimm JW, Cody M, Beck C. Gender, kinship and caregiver burden: the case of community-dwelling memory impaired seniors. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 2003;18(8):722–732
  9. Cyprus Statistical Services . National Statistics for 2003. Nicosia: Statistical Service; 2003;
  10. Dumont S, Turgeon J, Allard P, Gagnon P, Charbonneau C, Vezina L. Caring for a loved one with advanced cancer: determinants of psychological distress in family caregivers. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2006;9(4):912–921
  11. Ferrell BR, Grant M, Borneman T, Juarez G, ter Veer A. Family caregiving in cancer pain management. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 1999;2(2):185–195
  12. Fortinsky RH, Kercher K, Burant CJ. Measurement and correlates of family caregiver self-efficacy for managing dementia. Aging & Mental Health. 2002;6(2):153–160
  13. George D, Mallery P. SPSS for Windows Step by Step: a Simple Guide and Reference. 11.0 Update. fourth ed.. Boston: Allyn & Bacon; 2003;
  14. Gilbar O. Gender as a predictor of burden and psychological distress of elderly husbands and wives of cancer patients. Psycho-Oncology. 1999;8(4):287–294
  15. Gilbar O. The elderly cancer patient and his spouse: two perceptions of burden of caregiving. Journal of Gerontological Social Work. 1994;21(314):149–157
  16. Given BA, Given CW, Helms E, Stommel M, DeVoss DN. Determinants of family care giver reaction. New and recurrent cancer. Cancer Practice. 1997;5(1):17–24
  17. Given B, Wyatt G, Given C, Sherwood P, Gift A, DeVoss D, et al. Burden and depression among caregivers of patients with cancer at the end of life. Oncology Nursing Forum. 2004;31(6):1105–1117
  18. Given CW, Given B, Azzouz F, Kozachik S, Stommel M. Predictors of pain and fatigue in the year following diagnosis among elderly cancer patients. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 2001;21(6):456–466
  19. Glajchen M. The emerging role and needs of family caregivers in cancer care. The Journal of Supportive Oncology. 2004;2(2):145–155
  20. Goldstein NE, Concato J, Fried TR, Kasl SV, Johnson-Hurzeler R, Bradley EH. Factors associated with caregiver burden among caregivers of terminally ill patients with cancer. Journal of Palliative Care. 2004;20(1):38–43
  21. Grunfeld E, Coyle D, Whelan T. Family caregiver burden: results of a longitudinal study of breast cancer patients and their principal caregivers. CMAJ. 2004;170(12):1795–1801
  22. Hagedoorn M, Buunk BP, Kuijer RG, Wobbes T, Sanderman R. Couples dealing with cancer: role and gender differences regarding psychological distress and quality of life. Psycho-Oncology. 2000;9(3):232–242
  23. Haley WE. Family caregivers of elderly patients with cancer: understanding and minimizing the burden of care. The Journal of Supportive Oncology. 2003;1(4 Suppl 2):25–29
  24. Haley WE, LaMonde LA, Han B, Narramore S, Schonwetter R. Family caregiving in hospice: effects on psychological and health functioning among spousal caregivers of hospice patients with lung cancer or dementia. The Hospice Journal. 2001;15(4):1–18
  25. Hanratty B, Holland P, Jacoby A, Whitehead M. Financial stress and strain associated with terminal cancer–a review of the evidence. Palliative Medicine. 2007;21(7):595–607
  26. Higginson IJ, Gao W. Caregiver assessment of patients with advanced cancer: concordance with patients, effect of burden and positivity. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. 2008;6:42
  27. Hudson PL, Aranda S, Kristjanson LJ. Meeting the supportive needs of family caregivers in palliative care: challenges for health professionals. Journal of Palliative Medicine. 2004;7(1):19–25
  28. Karademas E. Translating in Greek a psychometric tool to measure coping strategies in stressful situations. Psychology. 1998;5(3):260–273
  29. Kim HS, Yeom HA, Seo YS, Kim NC, Yoo YS. Stress and coping strategies of patients with cancer. A Korean study. Cancer Nursing. 2002;25(6):425–431
  30. Kim Y, Kashy DA, Evans TV. Age and attachment style impact stress and depressive symptoms among caregivers: a prospective investigation. Journal of Cancer Survivorship: Research and Practice. 2007;1(1):35–43
  31. Kris AE, Cherlin EJ, Prigerson H, Carlson MD, Johnson-Hurzeler R, Kasl SV, et al. Length of hospice enrollment and subsequent depression in family caregivers: 13-month follow-up study. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: Official Journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2006;14(3):264–269
  32. Kroenke CH, Hankinson SE, Schernhammer ES, Colditz GA, Kawachi I, Holmes MD. Caregiving stress, endogenous sex steroid hormone levels, and breast cancer incidence. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2004;159(11):1019–1027
  33. Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer; 1984;
  34. Lyons K, Zarit S, Sayers A, Whitlatch C. Caregiving as dyadic process: perspectives from caregiver and receiver. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. 2002;57B(3):195–204
  35. Lowenstein A, Gilbar O. The perception of caregiving burden on the part of elderly cancer patients, spouses, and adult children. Families, Systems, & Health. 2000;18:337–346
  36. Madianos MG, Gournas G, Stefanis CN. Depressive symptoms and depression among elderly people in Athens. Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica. 1992;86(4):320–326
  37. McMillan SC, Small BJ, Weitzner M. Impact of coping skills intervention with family caregivers of hospice patients with cancer: a randomized clinical trial. Cancer. 2006;106(1):214–222
  38. Nijboer C, Tempelaar R, Triemstra M, van den Bos GA, Sanderman R. The role of social and psychologic resources in caregiving of cancer patients. Cancer. 2001;91(5):1029–1039
  39. Nijboer C, Triemstra M, Tempelaar R, Mulder M, Sanderman R, van den Bos GA. Patterns of caregiver experiences among partners of cancer patients. The Gerontologist. 2000;40(6):738–746
  40. Northouse LL, Mood D, Templin T, Mellon S, George T. Couples' patterns of adjustment to colon cancer. Social Science & Medicine. 2000;50(2):271–284
  41. Papastavrou E, Kalokerinou A, Papacostas SS, Tsangari H, Sourtzi P. Caring for a relative with dementia: family caregiver burden. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 2007;58(5):446–457
  42. Raddloff L. The center for epidemiological studies-depression scale: a self report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological Measurements. 1977;3:385–401
  43. Raveis VH, Karus DG. Elderly cancer patients: correlates of depressive symptomatology. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology. 1999;17(2):
  44. Schulman-Green D, McCorkle R, Curry L, Cherlin E, Johnson-Hurzeler R, Bradley E. At the crossroads: making the transition to hospice. Palliative & Supportive Care. 2004;2(4):351–360
  45. Schulz R, Beach SR. Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality: the Caregiver Health Effects Study. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1999;282(23):2215–2219
  46. Soskolne V, Halevy-Levin S, Ben-Yehuda A. The context of caregiving, kinship tie and health: a comparative study of caregivers and non-caregivers. Women & Health. 2007;45(2):75–94
  47. Stetz KM, Brown MA. Physical and psychosocial health in family caregiving: a comparison of AIDS and cancer caregivers. Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.). 2004;21(6):533–540
  48. Stommel M, Given CW, Given BA. The cost of cancer home care to families. Cancer. 1993;71:1867–1874
  49. Stommel M, Given BA, Given CW. Depression and functional status as predictors of death among cancer patients. Cancer. 2002;94(10):2719–2727
  50. Tang ST, Li C-Y, Liao Y-C. Factors associated with depressive distress among Taiwanese family caregivers of cancer patients at the end of life. Palliative Medicine. 2007;21(3):249–257
  51. Van Pelt DC, Milbrandt EB, Qin L, Weissfeld L, et al. Informal caregiver burden among survivors of prolonged mechanical ventilation. American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine. 2007;175:167–173
  52. Weitzner MA, McMillan SC, Jacobsen PB. Family caregiver quality of life: differences between curative and palliative cancer treatment settings. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. 1999;17(6):418–428
  53. Whitlatch CJ, Zarit SH, von Eye A. Efficacy of interventions with caregivers: a reanalysis. The Gerontologist. 1991;31(1):9–14
  54. Zarit SH, Reever KE, Bach-Peterson J. Relatives of the impaired elderly: correlates of feelings of burden. The Gerontologist. 1980;20(6):649–655
  55. Zarit SH, Todd PA, Zarit JM. Subjective burdens of husbands and wives as caregivers: a longitudinal study. Gerontologist. 1986;26:260–266

PII: S1462-3889(09)00022-2

doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2009.02.003

European Journal of Oncology Nursing
Volume 13, Issue 2 , Pages 128-136 , April 2009

Article Tools