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Serving as a family caregiver for, and ultimately losing, a parent with advanced cancer in emerging and young adulthood has substantial, life phase-specific implications for psychosocial development. This qualitative study characterizes domains of psychosocial development impacted by cancer caregiving and parental death in this life phase. As part of a larger study, 33 bereaved emerging/young adult caregivers of parents who died following advanced cancer completed semi-structured interviews. A thematic analysis leveraging the constant comparative method was conducted by two coders and generated three themes, which described impacts of caregiving on: identity, life path, and relational intimacy and roles. Analyses also defined specific outcomes within these domains. Findings suggest that cancer caregiving-loss experiences can greatly influence developmental pursuits in this life phase. Findings validate a range of possible psychosocial impacts these caregivers may experience and can guide development of supportive resources for this growing subgroup of bereaved family caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging and young adult caregivers (EYACs) who provide care to their parents are a hidden, unsupported population of caregivers. Research identifies information sharing or withholding as a key aspect of caregivers' ability to cope and adjust, which may be especially critical when a parent is diagnosed with advanced cancer. The goal of this study was to examine the impact of parent information sharing/withholding on EYACs' caregiving and coping experiences. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 33 EYACs between the ages of 18–35 who cared for a parent that died of advanced cancer. Interview transcripts were thematically analyzed. Three factors played a role in how parents' information sharing/withholding affected EYACs' caregiving/coping: 1) topic, 2) timing, and 3) who is included. Findings highlight the adaptive functioning of parents' information sharing and negative outcomes associated with information withholding, illustrating how parents' disclosure decisions function to promote or inhibit EYACs' care involvement and coping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), cancer-distress, depression, and anxiety are prevalent concerns among women with gynecologic and other understudied cancers, especially among women of color and lower socioeconomic status (SES). Evidence indicates that mind-body interventions are effective in reducing such distress. This study evaluates (1) proof-of-concept of an integrated group yoga and psychological intervention in alleviating distress among women with gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic cancers and (2) differences in efficacy across social and economic factors. Methods: One hundred twenty-five participants were enrolled in a 10-week, single-arm, integrated group intervention utilizing mindfulness meditation, psychotherapy skills, and yoga. They completed measures of FCR, cancer-distress, depression, and anxiety at baseline and following intervention. Mixed-linear models evaluated change in outcomes across the intervention and moderating effects of age, minority status, and SES among 51 participants with available data. Results: Reductions in total (b = −2.06, P =.012) and somatic depressive symptoms (b = −1.79, P =.002) and state anxiety (b = −6.21, P =.005) were observed across the sample. Higher SES was associated with greater reductions in psychosocial distress related to FCR (b = −0.74, P =.050), and in total (b = −1.06, P =.049) and affective depressive symptoms (b = −0.76, P =.006). Women of color experienced greater declines in somatic symptoms compared to non-Hispanic White women (b = −2.71, P =.031), with women of color experiencing lower SES exhibiting greatest reduction in these symptoms (b = 1.73, P =.026). Conclusions: This study demonstrates proof-of-concept that an integrated psychological and yoga intervention may reduce depressive symptoms and state anxiety among women with gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic cancers, with racial and/or ethnic minority status and SES moderating some of these effects. Future research should examine intervention feasibility and acceptability among diverse women with cancer and evaluate efficacy using a randomized controlled trial design. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03385577 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Breast cancer is a shared experience for diagnosed mothers and their young adult caregiving daughters (YACDs). They struggle to talk about cancer and receive no guidance for navigating challenging but critical care conversations. Daughters in young adulthood also tend to avoid cancer-related talk, which is associated with poorer biopsychosocial outcomes, whereas openness between mothers and daughters is tied to better biopsychosocial outcomes. We sought to determine mothers' and YACDs' most challenging topics as well as their preferred strategies that help them engage in these discussions, while also exploring associations between openness/avoidance and their psychosocial outcomes. Results highlight how mother–daughter communication approaches (i.e., avoidance and openness) intersect with their psychological distress and relational satisfaction. Collectively, findings demonstrate that if we are to promote better psychosocial outcomes for diagnosed mothers and their caregiving daughters, we must recognize the influential role their communication plays in their well-being. For many diagnosed mothers and their daughters, breast cancer is a shared experience. However, they struggle to talk about cancer. This is particularly true when the daughter is in adolescence or young adulthood, as they tend to be more avoidant, which is associated with poorer biopsychosocial outcomes. When daughters are their mother's caregivers, daughters' burden and distress are heightened. Young adult caregiving daughters (YACDs) are the second most common family caregiver and encounter more distress and burden than other caregiver types. Yet, YACDs and their diagnosed mothers receive no guidance on how to talk about cancer. Thirty-nine mother/YACD pairs participated in an online survey to identify challenging topics and strategies for talking about cancer, and to explore associations between openness/avoidance and psychosocial outcomes. YACDs and mothers reported the same challenging topics (death, treatment-related issues, negative emotions, relational challenges, YACDs' disease risk) but differed on why they avoided the topic. YACDs and mothers identified the same helpful approaches to navigate conversations (openness, staying positive, third-party involvement, avoidance). Avoidance was correlated with more distress whereas openness was correlated with better psychosocial outcomes. These results provide a psychosocial map for a mother-YACD communication skills intervention, which is key to promoting healthy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) caregivers play a central role in disease management—a role that has been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic given the healthcare system's reliance on frontline family caregivers and CLL patients' increased risk of infection and mortality. Using a mixed-method design, we investigated the impact of the pandemic on CLL caregivers (Aim 1) and their perceived resource needs (Aim 2): 575 CLL caregivers responded to an online survey; 12 spousal CLL caregivers were interviewed. Two open-ended survey items were thematically analyzed and compared with interview findings. Aim 1 results showed that two years into the pandemic, CLL caregivers continue to struggle with coping with distress, living in isolation, and losing in-person care opportunities. Caregivers described experiencing increasing caregiving burden, realizing the vaccine may not work or didn't work for their loved one with CLL, feeling cautiously hopeful about EVUSHELD, and dealing with unsupportive/skeptical individuals. Aim 2 results indicate that CLL caregivers needed reliable, ongoing information about COVID-19 risk, information about and access to vaccination, safety/precautionary measures, and monoclonal infusions. Findings illustrate ongoing challenges facing CLL caregivers and provide an agenda to better support the caregivers of this vulnerable population during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research reveals that informal, adult caregivers (25 years of age and older) of chronically ill loved ones incur psychological stress from the caregiving experience. However, there is little research on the psychological impact on the younger adult caregiver (ages 18-24). Therefore, the focus of this study was to explore the psychological effects of being a younger adult caregiver and what factors contribute to, or insulate the younger adult caregiver from the distress of caregiving. The results indicate that younger adult caregivers are unique in that different factors contribute to or insulate them from distress compared to adult caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Minority and older adult patients remain underrepresented in cancer clinical trials (CCTs). The current study sought to examine sociodemographic inequities in CCT interest, eligibility, enrollment, decline motivation, and attrition across two psychosocial CCTs for gynecologic, gastrointestinal, and thoracic cancers., Methods: Patients were approached for recruitment to one of two interventions: (1) a randomized control trial (RCT) examining effects of a cognitive-behavioral intervention targeting sleep, pain, mood, cytokines, and cortisol following surgery, or (2) a yoga intervention to determine its feasibility, acceptability, and effects on mitigating distress. Prospective RCT participants were queried about interest and screened for eligibility. All eligible patients across trials were offered enrollment. Patients who declined yoga intervention enrollment provided reasons for decline. Sociodemographic predictors of enrollment decisions and attrition were explored., Results: No sociodemographic differences in RCT interest were observed, and older patients were more likely to be ineligible. Eligible Hispanic patients across trials were significantly more likely to enroll than non-Hispanic patients. Sociodemographic factors predicted differences in decline motivation. In one trial, individuals originating from more urban areas were more likely to prematurely discontinue participation., Discussion: These results corroborate evidence of no significant differences in CCT interest across minority groups, with older adults less likely to fulfill eligibility criteria. While absolute Hispanic enrollment was modest, Hispanic patients were more likely to enroll relative to non-Hispanic patients. Additional sociodemographic trends were noted in decline motivation and geographical prediction of attrition. Further investigation is necessary to better understand inequities, barriers, and best recruitment practices for representative CCTs., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (© The Author(s) 2022.)