title: Spouse cancer caregivers' burden and distress at entry to home hospice: The role of relationship quality.
abstract: High-quality relationships may be protective for family caregivers. This study focuses on relationship quality categories (supportive and ambivalent) in spouse caregivers in cancer home hospice. The goals of this article are to, first, describe relationship quality categories among end-of-life caregivers and, second, test the effects of relationship quality categories on caregiver burden and distress within a stress process model. Using questionnaire data collected at entry to home hospice, we found relationship quality categories were proportionally similar to those seen in noncaregiver older adults. Relationship quality significantly predicted caregiver burden, which completely mediated the relationship between caregiver relationship quality and distress. Caregivers whose social contexts place them at risk for greater distress may benefit from increased clinical attention or intervention.
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Maija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reblin
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ellington
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Kathi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.affiliation: University of Utah, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caserta
authors.affiliation: California State University, San Bernardino, USA.
authors.forename: Dale
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lund
keywords: Burden; cancer; caregiving; distress; end of life; relationship quality