Caregivers of Adult Cancer Patients Face Elevated Traumatic Stress Levels, Study Reveals
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Every year, millions of family members and friends provide care for loved ones undergoing cancer treatment, often at great emotional cost. A new scoping review, published this week in Archives of Geriatrics and Gerontology Plus, confirms the toll that this work can take on caregivers’ mental health. According to the review, most studies show that more than 15% of those who care for loved ones with cancer suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The comprehensive literature review found that caregivers with pre-existing mental health conditions, lower social support, and higher caregiver burden were at greater risk of PTSD. Additionally, patient-related factors such as disease severity, symptom burden, and perceived likelihood of death also contributed to caregiver distress.
The study also found that caregivers of patients with head and neck cancer or acute leukemia were among the most distressed, with up to 37% of them meeting PTSD criteria.
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