查看文章

Objective: Evidence suggests interdependence between cancer patients’ and their caregivers’ physical and mental health. However, the extent to which caregivers’ health relates to their patients’ recovery, or patients’ health affects their caregivers’ outcomes, is largely unknown. This dyadic investigation reports the relations between cancer patients’ and their caregivers’ physical and mental health trajectories during the year following diagnosis.

Design: Ninety-two colorectal cancer patient–caregiver dyads completed questionnaires at 2, 6 and 12 months post-diagnosis.

Outcome measures: Self-reported physical and mental health using the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Health Survey-12.

Results: Patients reported improved physical health over the year following their diagnosis, whereas caregivers reported declining physical health. Patients with lower mental health at diagnosis had stagnated physical health …