title: Caregiver burden in end-of-life care: advanced cancer and final stage of dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Considering two advanced illnesses, cancer and end-stage dementia, the aim of this study was to describe the symptoms of caregiver psychological distress and burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, regression analyses were calculated to explain the influence of psychological distress in caregiver burden. A t test was employed to compare differences between the symptoms of caregiver burden.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentage of psychological distress was similar between caregivers of cancer patients (77.6%) and caregivers of dementia patients (72.4%). In the regression analysis, cancer caregiver distress accounted for 27.9% of the variance in symptoms of burden, while dementia caregiver distress accounted for 24.4% of the variance in symptoms of burden. No significant differences were revealed when comparing caregiver burden symptoms between caregivers of the two advanced illnesses (t = 0.06; p = 0.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In end-of-life care for patients with dementia, due to significant levels of caregiver distress and burden symptoms, there is a need to support caregivers in the same way as is done for caregivers of cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychologist. Department of Psychiatry,Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron,CIBERSAM,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona,Barcelona,Spain.
authors.forename: Gema
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Costa-Requena
authors.affiliation: Medical Degree. Department of Geriatric Medicine,Antic Hospital Sant Jaume i Santa Magdalena,Consorci Sanitari del Maresme,Mataró,Barcelona,Spain.
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Espinosa Val
authors.affiliation: Medical Degree. Department of Geriatric Medicine,Antic Hospital Sant Jaume i Santa Magdalena,Consorci Sanitari del Maresme,Mataró,Barcelona,Spain.
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cristòfol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological
keywords: Advanced cancer; Caregiver burden; Caregiver distress; Dementia; Palliative care