The impact of life stage on the unmet personal and or emotional needs of cancer caregivers, as mediated by other unmet needs: An application of the Life Course Perspective

• Main Author: Nelson, Khalilah Aneesha
• Language: en
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: Health Studies and Gerontology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10012/7679

The current study utilizes a life course approach in its exploration of the connection between life stage and psychological well-being, within the context of cancer caregivers. Further the study explores this connection in light of four possible mediating unmet needs factors that is unmet work or financial needs, unmet health care needs, unmet information needs and unmet future concerns needs as well as the extent to which these factors differ within each group. The study utilizes data from The Cancer Support Person’s Unmet Needs Survey (SPUNS) conducted by Campbell et al. in which a random, stratified sample of 1128 cancer survivors and their immediate caregivers, selected from the Cancercare Manitoba Cancer Registry, were surveyed (2009). The sample for the current study included 789 support persons selected for the study by the survivor for whom they cared. The study revealed that caregivers in midlife exhibited higher levels of unmet needs in work/ financial as well as future concerns life aspects. It is the expectation that the results of this study will enable practitioners to better support and fill the needs of caregivers allowing for improved quality of life and quality of care.