TY - JOUR
T1 - Roles of age and sources of cancer caregiving stress in self-reported health and neuroendocrine biomarkers
AU - Mitchell, Hannah Rose
AU - Kim, Youngmee
AU - Carver, Charles S.
AU - Llabre, Maria M.
AU - Ting, Amanda
AU - Mendez, Armando J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was funded by the American Cancer Society 121909-RSG-12-042-01-CPPB to YK; Fred C. and Helen Donn Flipse Graduate Student Research Funding, University of Miami to HM. Writing of this manuscript was supported by National Institute of Nursing Research (R01NR016838) to YK. The authors extend their appreciation to all the families who participated in this investigation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Objective: To investigate the extent to which age and specific sources of caregiving stress are associated with cancer caregivers’ health. Methods: New colorectal cancer caregivers (n = 88; age M = 49) reported caregiving stress (i.e., disrupted schedule, lacking family support, financial strain) and mental and physical health, and collected saliva samples assayed for neuroendocrine biomarkers (cortisol and α-amylase). Results: Disrupted daily schedule due to caregiving was associated with poorer self-reported mental health across all ages (B= −4.19, 95% CI: −6.59–−1.80, p <.01), and associated with dysregulated cortisol patterns among older caregivers, but with more regulated cortisol patterns among younger caregivers, ps ≤.01. Across all ages, lacking family support was associated with poorer self-reported physical health (B= −2.13, 95% CI: −4.33–−0.07, p <.05), but more regulated α-amylase patterns (B = 2.51, 95% CI: 0.83–4.19, p <.01). Financial strain related to regulated cortisol levels only among older caregivers (B = 5.07, 95% CI: 0.58–9.57, p =.03) and more regulated α-amylase patterns across all ages (B= −25.81, 95% CI: −48.72–−2.90, p <.05). Conclusion: Findings suggest that specific sources of caregiver stress manifest in health outcomes distinctly by age, and support the need for targeted psychosocial interventions for cancer caregivers.
AB - Objective: To investigate the extent to which age and specific sources of caregiving stress are associated with cancer caregivers’ health. Methods: New colorectal cancer caregivers (n = 88; age M = 49) reported caregiving stress (i.e., disrupted schedule, lacking family support, financial strain) and mental and physical health, and collected saliva samples assayed for neuroendocrine biomarkers (cortisol and α-amylase). Results: Disrupted daily schedule due to caregiving was associated with poorer self-reported mental health across all ages (B= −4.19, 95% CI: −6.59–−1.80, p <.01), and associated with dysregulated cortisol patterns among older caregivers, but with more regulated cortisol patterns among younger caregivers, ps ≤.01. Across all ages, lacking family support was associated with poorer self-reported physical health (B= −2.13, 95% CI: −4.33–−0.07, p <.05), but more regulated α-amylase patterns (B = 2.51, 95% CI: 0.83–4.19, p <.01). Financial strain related to regulated cortisol levels only among older caregivers (B = 5.07, 95% CI: 0.58–9.57, p =.03) and more regulated α-amylase patterns across all ages (B= −25.81, 95% CI: −48.72–−2.90, p <.05). Conclusion: Findings suggest that specific sources of caregiver stress manifest in health outcomes distinctly by age, and support the need for targeted psychosocial interventions for cancer caregivers.
KW - aging
KW - cancer caregivers
KW - caregiver health
KW - neuroendocrine stress biomarkers
KW - psycho-oncology
KW - stressor specificity
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U2 - 10.1080/08870446.2020.1800009
DO - 10.1080/08870446.2020.1800009
M3 - Article
C2 - 32744869
AN - SCOPUS:85088960572
VL - 36
SP - 952
EP - 966
JO - Psychology and Health
JF - Psychology and Health
SN - 0887-0446
IS - 8
ER -