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.
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
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
AN - SCOPUS:85088960572
JO - Psychology and Health
JF - Psychology and Health
SN - 0887-0446
ER -