Abstract
Purpose: Although costs of lung cancer care have been documented, economic and social changes among lung cancer patients' family caregivers have yet to be fully examined. In addition, research has not focused on caregivers with greater need for support services. This study examined various economic and social changes among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients during the initial months of cancer care in the USA. Methods: Lung cancer patients' primary family caregivers with significant anxiety or depressive symptoms were recruited from three medical centers within 12 weeks of the patient's new oncology visit. Caregivers (N = 83) reported demographic and medical information and caregiving burden at baseline. Seventy-four caregivers reported anxiety and depressive symptoms and economic and social changes 3 months later. Results: Seventy-four percent of distressed caregivers experienced one or more adverse economic or social changes since the patient's illness. Common changes included caregivers' disengagement from most social and leisure activities (56 %) and, among employed caregivers (n = 49), reduced hours of work (45 %). In 18 % of cases, a family member quit work or made another major lifestyle change due to caregiving. Additionally, 28 % of caregivers reported losing the main source of family income, and 18 % reported losing most or all of the family savings. Loss of the main source of family income and disengagement from most social and leisure activities predicted greater caregiver distress. Conclusions: Findings suggest that distressed caregivers of lung cancer patients experience high rates of adverse economic and social changes that warrant clinical and research attention.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 819-826 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Supportive Care in Cancer |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Economic
- Employment
- Family caregiving
- Financial
- Lung cancer
- Psychological distress
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
Cite this
Economic and social changes among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients. / Mosher, Catherine E.; Champion, Victoria L.; Azzoli, Christopher G.; Hanna, Nasser; Jalal, Shadia I.; Fakiris, Achilles J.; Birdas, Thomas J.; Okereke, Ikenna; Kesler, Kenneth A.; Einhorn, Lawrence H.; Monahan, Patrick O.; Ostroff, Jamie S.
In: Supportive Care in Cancer, Vol. 21, No. 3, 03.2013, p. 819-826.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Economic and social changes among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients
AU - Mosher, Catherine E.
AU - Champion, Victoria L.
AU - Azzoli, Christopher G.
AU - Hanna, Nasser
AU - Jalal, Shadia I.
AU - Fakiris, Achilles J.
AU - Birdas, Thomas J.
AU - Okereke, Ikenna
AU - Kesler, Kenneth A.
AU - Einhorn, Lawrence H.
AU - Monahan, Patrick O.
AU - Ostroff, Jamie S.
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Purpose: Although costs of lung cancer care have been documented, economic and social changes among lung cancer patients' family caregivers have yet to be fully examined. In addition, research has not focused on caregivers with greater need for support services. This study examined various economic and social changes among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients during the initial months of cancer care in the USA. Methods: Lung cancer patients' primary family caregivers with significant anxiety or depressive symptoms were recruited from three medical centers within 12 weeks of the patient's new oncology visit. Caregivers (N = 83) reported demographic and medical information and caregiving burden at baseline. Seventy-four caregivers reported anxiety and depressive symptoms and economic and social changes 3 months later. Results: Seventy-four percent of distressed caregivers experienced one or more adverse economic or social changes since the patient's illness. Common changes included caregivers' disengagement from most social and leisure activities (56 %) and, among employed caregivers (n = 49), reduced hours of work (45 %). In 18 % of cases, a family member quit work or made another major lifestyle change due to caregiving. Additionally, 28 % of caregivers reported losing the main source of family income, and 18 % reported losing most or all of the family savings. Loss of the main source of family income and disengagement from most social and leisure activities predicted greater caregiver distress. Conclusions: Findings suggest that distressed caregivers of lung cancer patients experience high rates of adverse economic and social changes that warrant clinical and research attention.
AB - Purpose: Although costs of lung cancer care have been documented, economic and social changes among lung cancer patients' family caregivers have yet to be fully examined. In addition, research has not focused on caregivers with greater need for support services. This study examined various economic and social changes among distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients during the initial months of cancer care in the USA. Methods: Lung cancer patients' primary family caregivers with significant anxiety or depressive symptoms were recruited from three medical centers within 12 weeks of the patient's new oncology visit. Caregivers (N = 83) reported demographic and medical information and caregiving burden at baseline. Seventy-four caregivers reported anxiety and depressive symptoms and economic and social changes 3 months later. Results: Seventy-four percent of distressed caregivers experienced one or more adverse economic or social changes since the patient's illness. Common changes included caregivers' disengagement from most social and leisure activities (56 %) and, among employed caregivers (n = 49), reduced hours of work (45 %). In 18 % of cases, a family member quit work or made another major lifestyle change due to caregiving. Additionally, 28 % of caregivers reported losing the main source of family income, and 18 % reported losing most or all of the family savings. Loss of the main source of family income and disengagement from most social and leisure activities predicted greater caregiver distress. Conclusions: Findings suggest that distressed caregivers of lung cancer patients experience high rates of adverse economic and social changes that warrant clinical and research attention.
KW - Economic
KW - Employment
KW - Family caregiving
KW - Financial
KW - Lung cancer
KW - Psychological distress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84874112358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84874112358&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-012-1585-6
DO - 10.1007/s00520-012-1585-6
M3 - Article
VL - 21
SP - 819
EP - 826
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
SN - 0941-4355
IS - 3
ER -