Benefit finding through caring: The cancer caregiver experience

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore benefit finding in cancer carers taking account of timeline and care recipient, in relation to burden of care, perceived stress, optimism, resilience, self efficacy, perceived support and psychological distress.

Methods: A cohort sequential survey was conducted with a group of 842 female cancer carers who were caring for a spouse, a parent or a child. A stress-coping model of benefit finding was proposed and tested.

Results: Analysis supported the stress-coping model for global benefit finding and also the multidimensional model of benefit finding and identified important differences on outcome measures depending on care recipient and timeline.

Conclusions: This study concludes that a focus on benefit finding interventions may be useful in the area, but that a developmental approach taking into account the relationship between carer and the carer recipient is required.

Keywords:

• cancer
• carer
• benefit finding
• stress
• psychological distress