Article Analysis: Depressive Symptoms Among Caregivers of Colorectal Cancer Patients

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Introduction

The article “Depressive symptoms among caregivers of colorectal cancer patients during the first year since diagnosis: a longitudinal investigation” written by Youngmee Kim, Charles Carver, Caio Rocha-Lima and Kelly M. Schaffer is a prospective longitudinal study seeking to look for the relationship between stress and social support and how they are related to progressing depressive symptoms for caregivers of colorectal cancer patients (Yougmee et al, 2013).

Longitudinal studies are observational with no interference between researchers and their subjects. Unlike experimental studies, longitudinal studies may conduct multiple observations throughout a period of time finding developments, trends, and changes to the subjects. This research looks to study the third most common cancer and its effects on those around the patient, inspecting the validity of the previous research and their conclusions.

Problem, Purpose and Research Question

Research pertaining to cancer patients, their treatment, mental health and wellbeing are of abundance. However, research that relates specifically towards the caregivers of cancer patients is narrow. Studies show that caregivers of cancer patients encounter similar, or even sometimes greater, psychosomatic grief than the patient (Yougmee et al, 2013). These studies are important as the welfare and mental health of each caregiver influences the quality of care given to patients. Therefore the study of caregivers plays an integral role in looking at the effects of cancer diagnoses on patients, the mental health and stress, and the influence of social support on these relatives. Current studies that are available limit themselves to looking at non-Hispanic White caregivers of patien...

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...egivers of colon and colorectal cancer patients. The literature review provided enough information to determine that more research about this subject is needed and that is exactly what this study aimed to do. This study advanced research in this topic and widened the knowledge, research, and evidence about caregiver mental health. All of the information provided was appropriate for this research study and concluded with more than sufficient information. Regardless of the limitations, it is evident that future research can only benefit from this study and use it as a way of broadening the scope of this research down the road.

References

Kim,Y., Carver, C., Rocha-LimaC., & Shaffer, K. (2013). Depressive symptoms among caregivers of colorectal cancer patient during the first year since diagnosis: a longitudinal investigation. Psycho-Onocology, 22(2), 362-367

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