Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
School of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Homantin, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
Palliat Support Care. 2023 Oct;21(5):880-889. doi: 10.1017/S1478951523000731.
Cancer does affect not only the lives of the patients but also that of their spouses. The aims of this systematic review are to (i) explore the gender differences in the impact of caregiving for cancer on spousal caregivers, (ii) facilitate the conceptual understanding of gender differences in caregiving, and (iii) identify directions for future research and clinical practice targeting spousal caregivers.
A comprehensive search was conducted of the electronic databases of MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EBSCO, and CINAHL Plus for papers published in English between 2000 and 2022. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to identify, select, appraise, and synthesize the studies.
A total of 20 studies from seven countries were reviewed. Findings of the studies were presented using the biopsychosocial model. Spousal caregivers of cancer patients suffered from physical, psychological, and socioeconomic morbidities, with female spousal caregivers reporting a higher level of distress. The gendered positioning of spousal caregivers in the societal context had further brought about over-responsibility and self-sacrifice among women.
The gendered positions of cancer spousal caregivers further illustrated the gender differences in the caregiving experiences and consequences. Health-care professionals in routine clinical practice should be proactive in identifying physical, mental, and social morbidities among cancer spousal caregivers, particularly female ones, and providing timely interventions. Health-care professionals should recognize the pressing need for empirical research, political engagement, and action plans to address the health status and health-related behaviors of patients' spouses along the cancer trajectory.
癌症不仅影响患者的生活，还影响其配偶的生活。本系统评价的目的是：(i) 探讨照顾癌症患者对配偶照顾者的影响中的性别差异，(ii) 促进对照顾中的性别差异的概念理解，以及 (iii) 确定针对配偶照顾者的未来研究和临床实践方向。
对 MEDLINE、PsycINFO、EBSCO 和 CINAHL Plus 这四个电子数据库进行了全面检索，以查找 2000 年至 2022 年期间以英文发表的论文。采用系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目（PRISMA）指南来识别、选择、评估和综合研究。
共审查了来自七个国家的 20 项研究。研究结果使用生物心理社会模型呈现。癌症患者的配偶照顾者患有身体、心理和社会经济方面的疾病，女性配偶照顾者报告的困扰程度更高。配偶照顾者在社会环境中的性别定位进一步导致女性过度负责和自我牺牲。
癌症配偶照顾者的性别定位进一步说明了照顾经历和后果中的性别差异。常规临床实践中的医疗保健专业人员应主动识别癌症配偶照顾者，特别是女性，存在的身体、心理和社会疾病，并及时进行干预。医疗保健专业人员应认识到迫切需要进行实证研究、政治参与和行动计划，以解决患者配偶在癌症病程中的健康状况和健康相关行为。
