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Cited by 620Nursing care and researchCancer survivorship and careFamily Support in Illness

Caregiving Burden, Stress, and Health Effects Among Family Caregivers of Adult Cancer Patients

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Bevans, Margaret, Sternberg, Esther M.·2012·JAMA
DOI 10.1001/jama.2012.29PMC PMC3304539
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Abstract

Unlike professional caregivers such as physicians and nurses, informal caregivers, typically family members or friends, provide care to individuals with a variety of conditions including advanced age, dementia, and cancer. This experience is commonly perceived as a chronic stressor, and caregivers often experience negative psychological, behavioral, and physiological effects on their daily lives and health. In this report, we describe the experience of a 53-year-old woman who is the sole caregiver for her husband, who has acute myelogenous leukemia and was undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. During his intense and unpredictable course, the caregiver's burden is complex and complicated by multiple competing priorities. Because caregivers are often faced with multiple concurrent stressful events and extended, unrelenting stress, they may experience negative health effects, mediated in part by immune and autonomic dysregulation. Physicians and their interdisciplinary teams are presented daily with individuals providing such care and have opportunity to intervene. This report describes a case that exemplifies caregiving burden and discusses the importance of identifying caregivers at risk of negative health outcomes and intervening to attenuate the stress associated with the caregiving experience.

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  • These results agree with international evidence that describes effects of caregiving on the physical and psychological health of the caregiver and a high prevalence of depression and anxiety in this population.

    “Estos resultados concuerdan con la evidencia internacional, que describe efectos del cuidado sobre la salud física y psicológica del cuidador (3) y una elevada prevalencia de depresión y ansiedad en esta población (6).”

    From Síndrome de burnout en cuidadores familiares de pacientes oncológicos: revisión sistemática (2026) · cites this paper as [3]

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Authors
Bevans, M., & Sternberg, E. M.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (US)
ORCID
Bevans, Margaret
Venue
JAMA
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2012-01-25
Volume
307
Issue
4
Pages
398-403
ISSN
  • 0002-9955 (ISSN-L)
  • 0098-7484
DOI
10.1001/jama.2012.29
PMC
PMC3304539
OpenAlex
W1998901690
Cited by
620
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 40 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 88 · 2020: 70 · 2019: 53 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 48 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 38 · 2014: 27 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 12
FWCI
74.81
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • JAMA (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • NIH Clinical Center (Z01CL001148)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Family Support in Illness
Keywords
caregiver burden, family caregivers, chronic stress, acute myeloid leukemia, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, informal care, immune dysregulation, autonomic dysfunction, caregiver interventions
MeSH terms
Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Quality of Life, Stress, Psychological, Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive, Caregivers, Cost of Illness, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

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