Fatigue affecting family caregivers of cancer patients.

Fatigue, a universally reported symptom, may be one of the most prevalent feelings of people suffering from physical or mental diseases. An understanding of the factors leading to fatigue in the caregiving population can contribute to better care and support of both the cancer patient and the caregiver. The purpose of this discussion is to investigate and describe the experience of fatigue among caregivers of cancer patients in relation to caregiver age, employment status, number of hours of care provided daily, duration of caregiving, and the impact upon the caregiver's schedule. A sample of 248 caregivers of cancer patients, participating in the Family Homecare Cancer Study, were surveyed regarding fatigue related to their caregiving roles. No relationship was found between severity of fatigue experienced by the caregiver of the cancer patient and caregiver age, employment status, the number of hours of daily caregiving, or its duration. However, a significant relationship was found between fatigue and the impact of care on the daily schedule. This finding has strong implications for the health-care provider, because the more the caregiver's schedule is a burden, the greater will be the fatigue experienced.