title: Caregivers' information needs and their 'experiences of care' during treatment are associated with elevated anxiety and depression: a cross-sectional study of the caregivers of renal cancer survivors.
abstract: This study aims to examine the unmet needs and psychological distress (anxiety and depression) in family caregivers of renal cell carcinoma survivors.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study design was used. Unmet needs were assessed with the Supportive Care Needs Survey-Partners and Caregivers (SCNS-P&C) questionnaire, and psychological distress was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in a telephone survey of 196 caregivers of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) survivors. Chi-square tests examined bivariate relationships, and multivariate logistic regression examined the associations between anxiety and depression and of unmet needs with caregivers' experience of patients' care, time spent caregiving, caregivers' demographic characteristics and patients' disease stage.
  
  
  
  Sixty-four percent of caregivers had at least one low, moderate or high unmet need, with 53 % reporting at least three needs and 29 % reporting 10 or more unmet needs (median 2, range 0-38). Elevated anxiety (HADS-A > 8) and depression (HADS-D > 8) were found in 29 and 11 % of the sample, respectively. Psychological and emotional needs were associated with advanced cancer stage (stages 3 and 4) (OR 3.07, 95 % CI 1.35-6.76) and with experience of care during surgery (OR 0.87, 95 % CI 0.78-0.99). Healthcare service needs were associated with time spent caregiving, with caregivers spending >1 h/day in the past week having three times higher odds (OR 3.44, 95 % CI 1.52-7.72) than those not spending any time. Odds of experiencing information needs were lower in caregivers who were in a relationship (OR 0.20, 95 % CI 0.04-0.83). Elevated anxiety (OR 1.59, 95 % CI 1.09-2.33) and depression (OR 2.02, 95 % CI 1.08-3.79) were associated with unmet information needs. Depression was also associated with experiences of care during treatment (OR 0.69, 95 % CI 0.49-0.96).
  
  
  
  RCC caregivers' unmet information needs are associated with elevated anxiety and depression. Improved experiences of cancer care are associated with lower odds of unmet needs and elevated depression in RCC caregivers.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Devesh V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Oberoi
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia. Vicki.White@cancervic.org.au.
authors.forename: Vicki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2 St Andrews Pl, East Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jefford
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Graham G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Giles
authors.affiliation: Austin Health, 145 Studley Rd, Heidelberg, Melbourne, VIC, 3084, Australia.
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolton
authors.affiliation: Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, 5 Arnold Street, Box Hill, Melbourne, VIC, 3182, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Health, 300 Grattan St, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3050, Australia.
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Winship
authors.affiliation: The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2 St Andrews Pl, East Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: H Miles
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.affiliation: The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, 2 St Andrews Pl, East Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Cancer Action Victoria, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC, 3053, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.affiliation: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.|University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Anxiety; Caregivers; Depression; Renal cell carcinoma; Unmet needs