Depression and PTSD Seen in Caregivers

ScienceDaily reported on a study of caregivers of deceased lung transplant recipients. The study was reported at the American Thoracic Society's conference in Toronto. Researcer Cynthia Gries, M.D., M,Sc., reported that symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among caregivers of deceased lung transplant patients are four-to-five times more prevalent than in the average population. The researchers had caregivers of lung transplant recipients at the University of Washington who had died in the last five years fill out three questionnaires.

"We found that caregivers reported that their loved one's symptoms were poorly controlled and that the quality of the dying and death process was worse than that of other populations. In addition, family members who perceived that their loved one had either a lower quality of dying and death or poorly controlled pain symptoms, were more likely to have symptoms consistent with PTSD. . ."

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The study demonstrates that there is an urgent need for significant improvement in areas such as symptom management. Dr. Gries believes that having trained counselors to help family members with emotional needs, as well as financial issues, could reduce the stress on caregivers. "We hope that our findings will increase awareness among clinicians that caregivers experience a significant burden of symptoms and may need additional support," she concluded.