A Systematic Review of Cancer-Related Trauma and Growth in Caregivers Across the Lifespan

Family members can be required to take on the role of "caregiver" at any stage of life, causing disruption and psychological distress. This review sought to describe the traumatic impact (i.e., posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) of cancer caregiving across the lifespan.

This systematic review characterizes the current literature on cancer caregiver PTSS and PTG through a developmental lens with respect to caregiver age and their relationship to the patient.

Three electronic databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycInfo) were searched for relevant studies using a combination of controlled vocabulary and text words. Studies were limited to English-language only articles, but not limited by geography or publication date. A literature review management tool, Covidence, was used to screen for article eligibility as well as for data extraction and article quality assessment.

A final total of 275 studies underwent data extraction and quality assessment. Studies indicated that at all ages, caregivers experience PTSS. A gap in the literature was identified for child (< 18) and older adult (65+) caregivers. At other ages, most studies found elevated PTG in caregivers. Small variations of number of studies finding PTSS and PTG were found across age ranges.

Posttraumatic stress and growth appear to be experienced across the lifespan. However certain age groups are under-researched. Few studies focus on younger or older caregivers, especially in respect to PTG. There is a crucial need for studies in caregivers, particularly in these groups to fully address and support their unique caregiving needs and current population-based research does not attempt to depict the proportion of cancer caregivers at different developmental stages.