The psychological impact of cancer on patients' partners and other key relatives: a review.
Affiliation
CRUK Psychological Medicine Group, Stanley House, Christie Hospital, Manchester, UK. carolyn.pitceathly@man.ac.ukIssue Date
2003-07
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Partners and other family members are key supports for cancer patients. Most cope well with the caregiving role, but an important minority become highly distressed or develop an affective disorder. Female carers and those with a history of psychiatric morbidity are more vulnerable, as are those who take a more negative view of the patient's illness and its impact on their lives. Carers are likely to become more distressed and develop psychiatric morbidity as the illness advances and treatment is palliative. Carers are also more at risk when they lack a support network of their own and when there are relationship difficulties with the patient. The review discusses why, given this evidence, carers fail to take advantage of interventions designed to help them and those who participate derive only limited psychological benefits.Citation
The psychological impact of cancer on patients' partners and other key relatives: a review. 2003, 39 (11):1517-24 Eur. J. CancerJournal
European Journal of CancerDOI
10.1016/S0959-8049(03)00309-5PubMed ID
12855257Type
ArticleLanguage
enISSN
0959-8049ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/S0959-8049(03)00309-5