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Patterns of Caregiver Experiences Among Partners of Cancer Patients

^a Department of Social Medicine, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
^b Northern Center for Health Care Research, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
^c Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
^d Department for Health Services Research, National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, RIVM, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Chris Nijboer, PhD, National Institute of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NiGZ), DeBleek 13, Postbus 500, 3440 AM Woerden, The Netherlands. E-mail: cnijboer{at}nigz.nl.

Decision Editor: Vernon L. Greene, PhD

This study describes patterns of caregiving experiences in partners of patients with cancer (N=148) over a 6-month period. Caregiving experiences were assessed by means of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment Scale (CRA), which consists of four negative dimensions and one positive subscale: Disrupted Schedule, Financial Problems, Lack of Family Support, Loss of Physical Strength, and Self-Esteem. Subgroup analyses were performed according to gender, age, and socioeconomic status (SES). Type, size, and direction of changes in caregiving experiences over time were analyzed both at a group level and at an individual level. Patterns of caregiver experiences appeared to vary between the subgroups; women, younger caregivers, and caregivers with a higher SES experienced caregiving more negatively or less positively. The findings illustrate the value of studying inter- and intraindividual patterns across different subgroups, and stress that caregiver experiences should be regarded as a multidimensional concept that includes both negative and positive experiences of caregiving.

Key Words: Caregiver burden • Cancer • Health • Longitudinal patterns

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