title: Quality of life and mental health in family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The burden of serving as a caregiver is known to impair quality of life (QOL) and mental health caregivers of cancer patients. However, few studies focused on the caregivers of terminal cancer patients. Furthermore, none has compared them with those of general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed the family caregivers of terminal cancer patients who received palliative care services in Korea. Control individuals were selected from participants in the first round of the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and were matched with family caregivers using the propensity score method to optimize our comparative analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health-related QOL was significantly lower in the caregiver group than in the controls. Caregivers experienced more frequent episodes of depression during the previous year than did controls (36.3% vs. 12.4%, P < 0.0001). Caregiver burden, such as "impact on health," "financial problems," and "lack of family support" had a negative influence on the health-related QOL and mental health. However, "disrupted schedule" had a positive influence on the QOL and mental health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results show that the family caregivers of patients with terminal cancer experience mental health problems and deterioration of health-related QOL. Culturally appropriate caregiver support programs are needed to decrease the impact of caregiving on the QOL and mental health of family caregivers in Korea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Im
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Young Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.forename: Hana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mo
authors.forename: Myung Hee
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sung Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Jeong Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.forename: Eun Jin
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D057216:Propensity Score; D011788:Quality of Life; D056910:Republic of Korea; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*