The Relationship of Spousal Caregiver Burden to Patient Disease and Treatment-related Conditions

The prevalence and intensity of different caregiving burdens experienced by spousal caregivers and the association of these burdens with various patient illness and treatment-related conditions were examined in a sample of 295 married cancer patients and their spouses. The spousal caregivers were confronted with a wide range of burdens associated with their caregiving responsibilities. Objective, as compared to subjective, caregiver burdens were more strongly associated with patient disease and treatment-related conditions. Compared to husbands, wives experienced more burden and these burdens were more strongly associated with the various disease and treatment conditions.