Caregiver’s Moods Affect Health of Cancer Patients
Caregiver’s Moods Affect Health of Cancer Patients – Researchers at the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) found that when caregivers are depressed, the loved ones they are caring for also become depressed.
Good mental and physical health in caregivers is associated with better mental health in cancer survivors, showing how important it is for caregivers to take good care of themselves not only for their own sake but also for the sake of their loved ones.
Researchers analyzed information on 900 cancer patients and family members, such as spouses, who took care of them by providing physical care, emotional and moral support, and financial help. They looked at quality of life and depression in caregivers and how this affected cancer survivors a year later, and then compared the results to couples who did not go through cancer and cancer treatment.
Researchers found that when caregiving spouses were depressed, cancer survivors were four times more likely to develop depression. Improvement in health-related quality of life of caregivers resulted in a 30-percent drop in the rate of depression in survivors 11 months later.
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