According to a recent study conducted in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, emotional distress of family caregivers varies depending on the type of care received by their loved ones. The study analyzed the mental health of family caregivers before the death of their loved one, and compared it with their status six months post-death. The authors found that when patients pass in hospital intensive care units (ICU), there was a legitimate correlation with family caregivers suffering from longer lasting psychiatric problems like post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD) or disabling grief. Although few caregivers presented with PTSD, researchers found that a heightened grief process was found more often in individuals whose loved one passed in an ICU compared to home hospice service. This research shows the positive attributes of hospice palliative care, but requires a larger data set to validate these results.
For more information on this study, please visit http://www.thefamilycaregiver.com/nova_scotia/articles_resources/article_view.php?article_id=443
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