Aims. Efficacy of coping in the caregiving context might vary depending on familial relationship with, and age differences from, their care recipients. This study investigated the differential effects of coping on quality of life between spousal and adult daughter caregivers of cancer survivors.

Methods. Of 896 informal caregivers (67% response rate) participated in a national survey for caregivers approximately 2 years after the cancer diagnosis of the relative, 304 were wives and 133 were adult daughters of the care recipient, who were selected for this study. 387 (290 wives: mean age=57) provided complete data for the study variables (89% completion rate). 11 coping strategies were measured using the Brief-COPE; caregiving stress using the Pearlin stress overload subscale; quality of life using the MOS SF-12, which provided mental and physical health scores.

Results. Wife caregivers, compared with daughter caregivers, were older and providing care to younger care recipients, ts>2.17, ps<.03. General linear modeling predicting mental and physical health simultaneously by various coping strategies, caregiving stress, and relationship type, and interaction effects among these variables revealed several significant interaction effects. For example, the use of active coping as stress increased was related to poorer mental health among spouses, whereas it related to better mental health among daughters (F=5.59, p <.02). The adverse effect of caregiving stress on physical health was aggravated by use of behaviorally disengaged coping, which was more prominent among daughters than wives (F=3.97, p <.05).

Conclusions. Due to an aging population and the close relation between aging and cancer, the involvement of adult offspring in cancer caregiving has increased more than ever. Results suggest that programs should be tailored to subgroups of caregivers. Specifically, adult offspring caregivers will benefit from programs designed to help them reduce use of behavioral disengagement while engaging in more active coping by improving their mental and physical health.

This abstract could form part of symposium proposal, "In sickness and in health: Coping and needs of spouses and children caring for adult and older cancer patients, clinical observations and research data." Coordinator: Gil Goldzweig.