Bloomberg Nursing Assistant Professor and Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Pediatric Nursing Research Chair Lindsay Jibb has been awarded a CIHR grant to support her study “Traumatic stress symptoms in family caregivers of patients with acute leukemia: a longitudinal observational study”. Dr. Jibb is engaging in this study with co-principal investigator Dr. Gary Rodin.
Acute leukemia (AL) is a life-threatening cancer of the blood with sudden onset that occurs in individuals of all ages. The diagnosis of this disease typically requires urgent hospitalization for a course of intensive treatment, often for long periods of time. The disease and the treatment are likely to cause substantial distress in those affected and in their family caregivers.
Research shows that family caregivers of individuals with solid tumours are equally or even more distressed than patients. However, little is known about the experience of family caregivers of patients with AL, despite the likelihood that they will be highly distressed and have a central role in supporting their family member with the disease. This lack of knowledge about their experience has limited the ability to help these family caregivers manage their distress and better support their ill family member.
Drs. Jibb and Rodin aim to reduce this knowledge gap by assessing psychological distress and risk factors for its occurrence in the FCs of patients with AL across the life course, with the goal of understanding distress in family caregivers of patients with acute leukemia in order to determine what approaches are needed to help them best manage their distress. Results will be shared widely with family caregivers, patients, clinicians and policymakers.