Dyadic Risk and Protective Factors of Caregiver Burden Among Partners of Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Network Approach

OBJECTIVE: To examine how dyadic patient- and partner-related risk and protective factors are interconnected with caregiver burden among partners of patients with advanced cancer using a network approach. METHODS: We conducted network and shortest-path analyses using cross-sectional baseline data from the eQuiPe study, including 564 patient-partner caregiver couples. The network included patient- and partner-reported physical, emotional, and sleep problems, social and partner support, continuity of care, and caregiver burden. RESULTS: Shortest-path analysis identified patient-perceived continuity of care as the only patient-related protective factor directly connected to lower caregiver burden. Patients' physical problems were indirectly linked to caregiver burden via emotional problems of both patients and partners. CONCLUSIONS: Continuity of care and the interdependence between patient and partner emotional problems appeared to be important dyadic protective and risk factors of partners' caregiver burden. Improving continuity of palliative care and offering dyadic interventions targeting emotional functioning of both partners may help reduce caregiver burden. To further improve our understanding of caregiver burden and its dyadic factors, future studies should apply intensive longitudinal designs to explore how these components interact over time.