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Caring for a spouse with advanced cancer: similarities and differences for male and female caregivers

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Abstract

Most caregiving literature has focused on women, who have traditionally taken on caregiving roles. However, more research is needed to clarify the mixed evidence regarding the impact of gender on caregiver/patient psychological outcomes, especially in an advanced cancer context. In this paper, we examine gender differences in caregiver stress, burden, anxiety, depression, and coping styles, as well as how caregiver gender impacts patient outcomes in the context of advanced cancer. Eighty-eight patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers completed psychosocial surveys. All couples were heterosexual and most caregivers were women (71.6%). Female caregivers reported significantly higher levels of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and social strain compared with male caregivers, and female patients of male caregivers were more likely to use social support as a coping style compared with male patients of female caregivers. These findings highlight the potential differences between male and female caregivers’ needs and psychological health.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are deeply grateful to the participants of this study.

Funding

American Cancer Society ACS MRSG 13-234-01-PCSM; PI: Reblin.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, USA

    Dana Ketcher, Susan T. Vadaparampil & Maija Reblin

  2. University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Ryan Trettevik

  3. Family Translational Research Group, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Richard E. Heyman

  4. College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Lee Ellington

Authors
  1. Dana Ketcher
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  2. Ryan Trettevik
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  3. Susan T. Vadaparampil
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  4. Richard E. Heyman
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  5. Lee Ellington
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  6. Maija Reblin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maija Reblin.

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Conflict of interest

Dana Ketcher, Ryan Trettevik, Susan T. Vadaparampil, Richard E. Heyman, Lee Ellington, Maija Reblin declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and animal rights

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (Chesapeake IRB, Pro00015311) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Ketcher, D., Trettevik, R., Vadaparampil, S.T. et al. Caring for a spouse with advanced cancer: similarities and differences for male and female caregivers. J Behav Med 43, 817–828 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00128-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-019-00128-y

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