title: Assessing cancer-related distress in cancer patients and caregivers receiving outpatient psycho-oncological counseling.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The diagnosis of cancer, the symptoms of the illness and its treatment have an influence on how patients and their caregivers experience distress. However, data focusing on caregivers and their cancer-related distress in the outpatient setting is sparse. This study aimed to compare cancer-related distress of caregivers and patients and to derive implications for the system of outpatient psycho-oncological care.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty-eight patients and 102 caregivers receiving psycho-oncological counseling completed a standardized interview based on a self-assessment questionnaire (Questionnaire on Stress in Cancer Patients, FBK).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Group comparisons for cancer-related distress revealed one statistically significant difference for the subscale 'Fear' of the FBK, Z = 2.308, p = .021, and d = .44. Caregivers showed higher cancer-related fear (M = 2.76, SD = 1.14) than patients (M = 2.41, SD = 1.29). There were no differences in 'psychosomatic complaints', 'information deficit', 'restrictions in everyday life', 'social strains', or the total score of the FBK.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caregivers seem to experience cancer-related distress equal to or even more severely than patients themselves. Results suggest that there is a need for more low-threshold offers of outpatient psycho-oncological counseling for caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. sabrina.groepper@charite.de.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gröpper
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.|Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van der Meer
authors.affiliation: Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Landes
authors.affiliation: Berliner Krebsgesellschaft e.V., Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Hubert
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.affiliation: Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stickel
authors.affiliation: Charité Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Goerling
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010045:Outpatients; D012647:Self-Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Cancer; Cancer care; Family caregiver; Outpatient counseling; Psychological distress