Anxiety and depression in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients: impact on their perspective of the patients' symptom burden
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Anxiety and depression in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients: impact on their perspective of the patients' symptom burden. / Oechsle, Karin; Goerth, Kathrin; Bokemeyer, Carsten; Mehnert, Anja.
In: J PALLIAT MED, Vol. 16, No. 9, 01.09.2013, p. 1095-101.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Anxiety and depression in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients: impact on their perspective of the patients' symptom burden
AU - Oechsle, Karin
AU - Goerth, Kathrin
AU - Bokemeyer, Carsten
AU - Mehnert, Anja
PY - 2013/9/1
Y1 - 2013/9/1
N2 - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Given the important role caregivers play in palliative care planning and decision making, anxiety and depression in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients and their impact on the caregivers' evaluation of the patients' physical and psychological symptom burden were analyzed.DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Thirty-three patients and their caregivers were recruited through the University Medical Center palliative care inpatient ward <24 h after admission.MEASUREMENTS: Patients completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Caregivers were instructed to evaluate the symptom burden of the patient. Anxiety and depression were measured in caregivers using the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7.RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of male caregivers and 36% of female caregivers showed moderate or severe anxiety; 36% of male caregivers compared to 14% of female caregivers had moderate or severe depression. Caregivers' anxiety was associated with a discrepancy in the patients' symptom evaluation for shortness of breath (p<0.05); nausea (p<0.05); and frequency, intensity, and distress due to anxiety (p<0.01). Depression was associated with a discrepancy in the patients' evaluation of distress due to constipation (p<0.05), as well as intensity and distress due to anxiety (p<0.05). Both the caregivers' anxiety and depression were not significantly associated with an underestimation of symptoms. There was a trend towards a higher risk of overestimation in caregivers with higher levels of anxiety (r=0.32) (p=0.07) and depression (r=0.33) (p=0.06).CONCLUSION: Integrative palliative care should offer psychooncological care for the caregivers on a routine basis to avoid misleading perspectives possibly influencing end-of-life treatment decisions.
AB - BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Given the important role caregivers play in palliative care planning and decision making, anxiety and depression in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients and their impact on the caregivers' evaluation of the patients' physical and psychological symptom burden were analyzed.DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: Thirty-three patients and their caregivers were recruited through the University Medical Center palliative care inpatient ward <24 h after admission.MEASUREMENTS: Patients completed the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS). Caregivers were instructed to evaluate the symptom burden of the patient. Anxiety and depression were measured in caregivers using the PHQ-9 and the GAD-7.RESULTS: Fifty-five percent of male caregivers and 36% of female caregivers showed moderate or severe anxiety; 36% of male caregivers compared to 14% of female caregivers had moderate or severe depression. Caregivers' anxiety was associated with a discrepancy in the patients' symptom evaluation for shortness of breath (p<0.05); nausea (p<0.05); and frequency, intensity, and distress due to anxiety (p<0.01). Depression was associated with a discrepancy in the patients' evaluation of distress due to constipation (p<0.05), as well as intensity and distress due to anxiety (p<0.05). Both the caregivers' anxiety and depression were not significantly associated with an underestimation of symptoms. There was a trend towards a higher risk of overestimation in caregivers with higher levels of anxiety (r=0.32) (p=0.07) and depression (r=0.33) (p=0.06).CONCLUSION: Integrative palliative care should offer psychooncological care for the caregivers on a routine basis to avoid misleading perspectives possibly influencing end-of-life treatment decisions.
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Anxiety
KW - Caregivers
KW - Depression
KW - Female
KW - Germany
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Neoplasms
KW - Symptom Assessment
KW - Terminal Care
U2 - 10.1089/jpm.2013.0038
DO - 10.1089/jpm.2013.0038
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 23909373
VL - 16
SP - 1095
EP - 1101
JO - J PALLIAT MED
JF - J PALLIAT MED
SN - 1096-6218
IS - 9
ER -