Study exposes the dangerous ‘hidden’ mental burden of cancer on patients’ spouses
The distress from receiving a cancer diagnosis is something that clinicians widely anticipate in patients, but suffering often doesn’t just afflict the patient. It can blanket an entire household, burdening spouses and other family members with stress and anxiety and the exhausting routine of treating a life-threatening disease.
But while standards exist for assessing and managing distress in patients, it’s often “hidden” in family members, sometimes with devastating consequences, said Weiva Sieh, an epidemiologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In a study published in JAMA Oncology on Thursday, spouses of cancer patients were found to be at significantly higher risk of suicide attempt and death compared to those married to people without cancer.
