Support‐seeking by cancer caregivers living in rural Australia

Abstract

Objective: Rural cancer caregivers report poor wellbeing and high unmet needs for support. This study investigates sources of support sought by cancer caregivers living in rural Australia, and factors associated with support-seeking.Methods: Informal caregivers of people with cancer completed a questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, caregiver factors and support-seeking. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression were used to identify common sources of support and factors associated with support-seeking. Alluvial and radar plots were used to identify and describe support-seeking profiles.Findings: Of 244 rural caregivers, 64% reported seeking support for themselves, 72% for the cancer patient, and 22% did not seek any support. The most common sources of support were general practitioners and online. Higher caregiver burden, higher income, caring for someone with anxiety/depression or caring for someone who has difficulty completing their usual activities were associated with seeking support from a greater number of sources. The 'No support-seekers' profile had the highest proportions of caregivers who were male, caring for someone <12 months post-diagnosis and lower income earners.Conclusions: Many rural caregivers seek support for themselves and the cancer patient, commonly from medical and online sources.Implications for public health: Further work may be needed to reduce caregiver burden and support caregivers who are male, caring for someone recently diagnosed, and those with lower incomes.

Distress and psychosocial support seeking: A comparison of rural and metropolitan oncology patient experiences

“…They proposed the development of adapted, and culturally appropriate interventions (i.e., which go beyond deficits‐based perspectives that focus on stigma and self‐reliance as barriers) and instead recognise and draw upon rural strengths such as resilience and community networks. In Australia, rural cancer caregivers report accessing support for the person they are supporting less commonly than they access support for themselves 43 . Considering this alongside the systemic barriers experienced by those in rural areas, and our finding that patients value their informal supports, it may be relevant to streamline support for rural cancer patients and those who support them.…”

“…In Australia, rural cancer caregivers report accessing support for the person they are supporting less commonly than they access support for themselves. 43 Considering this alongside the systemic barriers experienced by those in rural areas, and our finding that patients value their informal supports, it may be relevant to streamline support for rural cancer patients and those who support them. Culturally responsive interventions for rural cancer patients are also salient in Australia, 30 where many rural cancer patients travel to metropolitan areas to receive treatment outside of a familiar context.…”

The Impact on Employment for Rural Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers Travelling to Major Cities for Treatment

“…Tis paper uses data from a longitudinal cohort study, Travelling for Treatment, that tracked patient-reported outcome measures across time (up to 5 years from study recruitment). Data from this study have been reported in several other publications [17][18][19][20]. Recruitment for the Travelling for Treatment study was conducted between September 2017 and June 2020.…”

What are the post‐treatment information needs of rural cancer survivors in Australia? A systematic literature review

“…Previous research has also identified that if post‐treatment information needs are not met in healthcare settings, cancer survivors look elsewhere for this information, particularly from online or interpersonal sources that may not be credible or accurate 8,9 . For example, 30%–40% of rural cancer survivors and their caregivers report referring to online sources from support 10,11 . In the case of online content on diet and exercise for cancer survivors, reviews have shown that advice is often unverified, incomplete, inaccurate or not up to date which could lead to patient harm 8,9 .…”

“…8,9 For example, 30%-40% of rural cancer survivors and their caregivers report referring to online sources from support. 10,11 In the case of online content on diet and exercise for cancer survivors, reviews have shown that advice is often unverified, incomplete, inaccurate or not up to date which could lead to patient harm. 8,9 Thus, meeting the information needs of cancer survivors is vital for ensuring quality survivorship care and wellbeing.…”