Lung cancer stigma – Attributional effects on informal caregiver perspective-taking and accuracy outcomes on patient pain experiences

Goals

In light of extensive media coverage on the linkage between smoking and lung cancer, lung cancer is now being perceived as a stigmatized disease where patients may experience negative reactions by family members. A small number of studies reported that family caregivers experience intense feelings of anger, worry, and fear as a result of blaming the patient, and perhaps even themselves, for engaging in high risk behaviour such as smoking. As a result, communication patterns are reported to change where patients and caregivers may not share their fears and concerns with one another.

For more information contact:

Christine McPherson

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences

University of Ottawa
Tel. 613-562-5800 (8693)
Fax 613-562-5443
christine.mcpherson@uottawa.ca

Aims

To explore the potential effects of patient and caregiver smoking history and illness attributions on caregiver perspective-taking, as well as caregiver accuracy on patient pain experiences.

A secondary aim is to explore differences between patient and caregiver reports of their smoking history, illness attributions, perceptions of caregiver perspective-taking, and assessments of patient pain experiences.

Methods

The short-term impact of this study is to lay the groundwork in developing a profile of informal caregivers who are at risk for faulty assessments of lung cancer pain experiences. The long-term impact is to develop interventions that target high risk caregivers to improve their communication with lung cancer patients, enhance their understanding of patients' pain experiences, and optimize patient pain management.

A descriptive comparative study with a major correlational component to investigate the aforementioned relationships in a cohort of 84 advanced stage lung cancer patients who report unrelieved pain and are receiving current cancer treatment, and their primary informal caregivers over a 36 month period.

The main criterion variables are caregiver perspective-taking activities, as reported by the patient and the caregiver, and caregiver discrepancy scores on total pain, pain frequency, severity, and distress. The independent variables are patient- and caregiver-held illness attribution responses as represented by their "onset" (perceived control of cause for lung cancer) and "offset" (perceived control of disease progression) reactions.

Timeline

April 2005 - April 2008

Funding body and amount

This project is funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada in the amount of $204,592.

Principal Investigators

Michelle M. Lobchuk, RN, PhD, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba

Co-investigators

Christine McPherson, RN, PhD, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa

Susan E. McClement, RN, PhD, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba