title: The unmet needs of partners and caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The recognition that a partner or caregiver is typically the patient's primary support person and is also deeply affected by the cancer diagnosis has prompted efforts to document their unmet supportive care needs. This review aimed to: (1) quantify the prevalence of unmet needs reported by partners and caregivers, (2) categorise their unmet needs by domain and (3) identify the main variables associated with reporting more unmet needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Manuscripts were identified through systematically searching electronic databases, checking the reference lists of retrieved publications, online searching of key journals and contacting researchers in this field.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unmet need items across 29 manuscripts were clustered into six domains: comprehensive cancer care (prevalence 1.1%-96%), emotional and psychological (3%-93.2%), partner or caregiver impact and daily activities (2.8%-79%), relationship (3.7% and 58%), information (2.2%-86%) and spiritual (2%-43%). Studies of caregivers of palliative care or terminal patients often reported a higher prevalence of unmet needs than studies of caregivers of cancer survivors. Variables associated with higher unmet needs included being female, not being the spouse of the patient, having lower social support or reporting distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the ability to classify unmet needs within broad domains, quantification of unmet needs was challenging. This was mainly due to the diversity in methods used across studies (eg, different measures, variability in conceptualisation of unmet needs, etc). Rigorous, context-specific, longitudinal studies that use validated measures are needed to benefit future intervention research.
authors.affiliation: Translational Cancer Research Unit, Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, South Western Sydney Clinical School, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sylvie D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonevski
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Catalina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lawsin
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Afaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Girgis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*