Study identifies ‘caregiver burden’ in owners of severely ill pets

A study conducted at the Kent State University, Ohio, indicates that owners of seriously ill pets are at a risk of anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms.

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The study led by a team of researchers under Mary Beth Spitznagel also suggested that the caregiver syndrome might lead to increased veterinarian stress.

Caregiver burden – as per prior research on human caregiving – is considered as a response to challenges and problems faced while giving informal care to a family member who is sick. However, there existed little knowledge on the effect of caregiver burden on veterinarians and owners of pets with chronic or terminal diseases.

In the current study, in order to assess caregiver burden and psychosocial function, the team analyzed 238 owners of a cat or dog. Half of the participants had their animal diagnosed with a terminal or chronic disease, while the rest healthy controls were blindly matched for age and sex of the owner and the species of animal.  

With the use of recognized scales, symptoms regarding stress, depression and anxiety were measured, whereas, the quality of life was evaluated through questionnaire. Demographic information of the owners was also obtained.

The findings indicated increased burden and stress as well as clinically relevant signs of anxiety and depression along with poorer life quality in owners of sick animals. Also, higher burden is associated with worse psychosocial functioning.

Even though there are a few study limitations that could introduce bias, the authors suggested that their findings may help veterinarians in understanding and managing client distress more effectively along with managing the challenges of sick companion animal caregiving.

The authors pointed out the need for further research in order to get a better understanding on the risks for caregiver burden in the client, the ways to reduce it, and learn its effect on veterinarian wellbeing.

Katherine Goldberg, in a linked commentary, suggested the need for better trainings for veterinarians regarding long term care for serious illness. This might include the tailoring of treatment plans based on the preferences of the client, recognizing times of distress for the client, and acquiring help from mental care professionals.

Goldberg wrote: "This inaugural exploration of caregiver burden within a veterinary setting is the first step in assessing the impact of veterinary caregiving on clients, as well as the impact of client emotional distress on veterinarian wellbeing”.

She expressed hope in further improvement of the literature in these areas through continued dialogues.  

Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/b-oos091417.php