Focusing on caregiver-patient relationship helps prevent burnout

There is growing evidence that caregivers of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are vulnerable to developing their own poor cardiovascular health, and a new report published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology shows that a couples-based intervention in a cardiac rehabilitation setting has potential for reducing caregiver distress.

Nearly half of Canadians have been in caregiving roles to family and friends, with similar figures in the United States and Europe. A caregiver is broadly defined as someone who provides informal or unpaid work to a family member or friend with a chronic condition or disability. Caregivers provide crucial, rarely remunerated support to sick family members or friends, researchers said.

About 40 percent of caregivers, of whom more than half are women, report high psychological, emotional, physical, social, and financial stresses imposed by the caregiving role. These factors can contribute to a higher risk of CVD among caregivers themselves. However, despite an appreciation of these issues, few approaches have been effective in reducing caregiver stress. This need is expected to increase because pressures on cardiac caregivers are projected to rise in the next decade as the population ages, length of hospital stays decline, and CVD and associated risk factors continue to increase, according to Heather Tulloch, PhD, lead investigator of the study.

In the narrative review, investigators looked at evidence from the fields of health psychology and relationship science and highlight the direct and indirect factors that link caregiver distress with caregivers' own cardiovascular risk. For example, caregivers are more likely to continue to smoke and less likely to be physically active than individuals who provide no or low levels of care; their diets tend to be high in saturated fat intake leading to greater body mass indexes; they spend less time engaging in self-care activities and report poor preventive health behaviors; they experience less or disordered sleep; and demonstrate poor adherence to medication. Spousal caregivers have higher levels of depressive symptoms, physical and financial burden, relationship strain, and lower levels of positive psychological wellbeing compared to adult children caregivers, researchers said.

The investigators contend that the cardiovascular health of both patient and caregiver could be improved by enhancing the quality of the patient-caregiver relationship. They describe a proof of concept testing of Healing Hearts Together, a relationship-enhancement and educational program for patients and partners. Based on attachment theory, which states that close emotional bonds are essential when faced with a threat such as a cardiac event, the program guides couples through conversations in which they review information on heart health and attachment; share their unique experiences with heart disease with partners and peers; and learn to clearly communicate their need for connection and reassurance. This connection enhances couple satisfaction and problem solving. Participants reported improvements in relationship quality, mental health, and select quality of life measures. A controlled evaluation of the impact of the program on cardiovascular risk factors is underway.

“It is abundantly clear that caregivers need to be better supported,” said Tulloch. “There is an emerging opportunity to care for those who care for their partners and enhance the health of both. It is important that healthcare professionals recognize the burden of caregiving and act sensitively and strategically to address these challenges."