4.3 Article

Only the Lonely: Expression of Proinflammatory Genes Through Family Cancer Caregiving Experiences

期刊

PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE
卷 83, 期 2, 页码 149-156

出版社

LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000897

关键词

cancer caregiving; gene expression; loneliness; social support; meaning; caregiving stress; CI = confidence interval; BMI = body mass index; CTRA = conserved transcriptional response to adversity

资金

  1. American Cancer Society [121909-RSG-12-04201-CPPB]
  2. National Institute of Nursing Research [R01NR016838]

向作者/读者索取更多资源

Findings suggest that caregiving-related transcriptional effects seem to be most pronounced when caregivers experience low social support and loneliness, as well as little meaning or purpose in their caregiving. These findings suggest that the development of new intervention strategies that prioritize reductions in caregiver loneliness may favorably impact biological mechanisms related to caregiver health.
Objective The experience of cancer elicits not only turmoil but also resilience in the family, which has been related to psychological adjustment and physical health of family caregivers. The biological pathways linking family cancer caregiving to health, however, remain poorly understood. This study examined the extent to which psychological risk and resilience factors related to a proinflammatory gene expression profile (conserved transcriptional response to adversity, or CTRA) among caregivers during the first-year postdiagnosis of a patient with colorectal cancer. Methods A total of 41 caregivers (mean age = 54 years, 74% female, 40% Hispanic) provided psychological data and peripheral blood samples around 4 and 12 months after diagnosis. Mixed regression models controlling for demographic and biometric factors were used to test the associations of caregiver CTRA gene expression with caregiving stress, loneliness, and lack of social support (risk factors), as well as benefit finding and meaning (resilience factors). Results When individually tested, all but benefit finding were significantly related to CTRA (R-2 >= 0.112, p < .045). When adjusted for other factors in either the risk or resilience group, loneliness, social support, and meaning effects remained significant (R-2 >= 0.120, p < .041). When all study factors were simultaneously adjusted (R-2 = 0.139), only loneliness remained significant (p = .034). Conclusions Findings suggest that caregiving-related transcriptional effects seem to be most pronounced when caregivers experience low social support and loneliness, as well as little meaning or purpose in their caregiving. These findings suggest that the development of new intervention strategies that prioritize reductions in caregiver loneliness may favorably impact biological mechanisms related to caregiver health.

作者

我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。

评论

主要评分

4.3
评分不足

次要评分

新颖性
-
重要性
-
科学严谨性
-
评价这篇论文

推荐

暂无数据
暂无数据