Roles Of Age And Sources Of Cancer Caregiving Stress In Self-Reported Health And Neuroendocrine Biomarkers

Objective To investigate the extent to which age and specific sources of caregiving stress are associated with cancer caregivers' health.Methods:New colorectal cancer caregivers (n = 88; ageM = 49) reported caregiving stress (i.e., disrupted schedule, lacking family support, financial strain) and mental and physical health, and collected saliva samples assayed for neuroendocrine biomarkers (cortisol and alpha-amylase).Results:Disrupted daily schedule due to caregiving was associated with poorer self-reported mental health across all ages (B= -4.19, 95% CI: -6.59--1.80,p<.01), and associated with dysregulated cortisol patterns among older caregivers, but with more regulated cortisol patterns among younger caregivers,ps <= .01. Across all ages, lacking family support was associated with poorer self-reported physical health (B= -2.13, 95% CI: -4.33--0.07,p<.05), but more regulated alpha-amylase patterns (B = 2.51, 95% CI: 0.83-4.19,p<.01). Financial strain related to regulated cortisol levels only among older caregivers (B = 5.07, 95% CI: 0.58-9.57,p= .03) and more regulated alpha-amylase patterns across all ages (B= -25.81, 95% CI: -48.72--2.90,p<.05).Conclusion:Findings suggest that specific sources of caregiver stress manifest in health outcomes distinctly by age, and support the need for targeted psychosocial interventions for cancer caregivers.