Relationship Between Physical and Psychological Status of Cancer Patients and Caregivers

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between patient physical and emotional status and caregiver mood state for patients with advanced cancer. Data were collected from 299 cancer patients and their caregivers from a cancer center. We used a longitudinal design and collected data through interviews. The relationships between patient and caregiver emotional states over time were moderate and statistically significant at all three points in time ( p values = .012-.0001). Patient physical and emotional status predicted caregiver mood state at all points in time (βs = −.22 to −.25) and caregiver mood state at baseline predicted patient emotional status at 3 months (β = −.16, p = .013). Relationships between patient emotional status and caregiver mood state were moderately strong. Addressing the emotional needs of both patients and caregivers has the potential to yield improved emotional outcomes for both over time.