Adapted from an article by Ownsworth, T, Goadby, E & Chambers, S.K. (2015). Support after Brain tumor means different things: Family caregiversβ experiences of support and relationship changes. Available: here.
The diagnosis of brain cancer often comes as a big shock- like an unexpected stomach churning turn on a rollercoaster ride⦠The diagnosis,the changes, the possible outcomes, the treatment plan, and the aftercare are often very overwhelming to come to terms with for patients and family caregivers.
There is room to cautiously state that brain cancer is a “family disease” meaning every member of the primary family is affected by the significant impact of both a brain injury and cancer. Family members often experience a significant number of stressors, role changes, changes in relationship dynamics, emotional strain, and an increased sense of responsibility in managing the household.
The increased stress and responsibilities placed on family members can often lead to significant strain on their relationship with the person with brain cancer and in some cases, a partial or total relationship breakdown. The impact of caregiving may often include physical and psychological problems and economic and social difficulty for both the patient and family caregivers. Caregivers often perceive their role as physically exhausting and may often experience health problems such as insomnia and headaches. Caregivers are also at risk of developing mental health problems, with 20β30% endorsing clinical levels of depression, 40β60% reporting clinical levels of anxiety, and 35% found to experience significantly higher levels of stress than the general population. In a study by Petruzzi and colleagues, caregivers were found to report poorer quality of life than individuals with brain tumour.
The effects of a brain cancer may often have the following outcomes in relationships:
– Strengthened relationship- Some caregivers experience a sense of strengthening and closeness in their relationships after the cancer diagnosis. The quality of this relationship is often related to the quality of the relationship before that diagnosis.
– Maintained relationship- Some caregivers experience little or no change in the dynamic/ quality of their relationships. This is often related to small or no changes in roles, responsibilities, and no changes in the patientβs personality/ behavior.
– Strained relationship- Some caregivers often experience that the diagnosis place varying levels of strain on their relationship with the patient. These caregivers often report changes in their loved oneβs mood and personality, which often causes family members to grieve the losses of the patient, while the patient is still alive. Changes in roles and responsibilities, such as taking on more household chores and childcare also contributes to relationship strain. For caregivers who take on additional roles and responsibilities, lack of support appears to contribute to their experience of relationship strain. For other caregivers, the quality of the relationship prior to the brain cancer and other pre-existing stressors often impact on their current relationship.
It is clear from the study that family caregivers experience a variety of stressors when a loved one is diagnosed with brain cancer. It is also noteworthy that different experiences and quality of relationships are experienced by different caregivers. It is also important to note that the diagnosis of brain cancer often has a very devastating effect on patients It is often extremely difficult to come to terms with and accept the evident changes associated with brain cancer. It is therefore especially important for caregivers to seek emotional support and counselling aimed at exploring possible strengths and working on coming to terms with devastating factors.
Please reach out for counselling/ support of you need it.
TIPS ON IDENTIFYING SUPPORT:
– Attend a support group in your area.
– Talk to a therapist/ psychologist
– Maintain healthy relationships with family/friends
