Cancer Caregivers Had 89% Higher Odds of Frequent Mental Distress

People caring for a loved one with cancer were much more likely to report many days of poor mental health than adults who were not caregivers, according to a large national study published in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer and reported by Indiana University researchers on Oct. 14, 2026.

Family members and friends provide much of the day-to-day help people with cancer need, from rides and meals to managing medicines and appointments. This study adds national numbers to what many caregivers already feel: the role can take a real toll on mental health.

What the Study Looked At

The researchers used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a large telephone health survey run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They pooled answers from 2022 and 2023 in the 24 states and territories that asked an optional set of caregiving questions. Of about 200,000 adults, 3,078 said they cared for someone with cancer, 39,047 cared for someone with another health condition, and 157,539 were not caregivers.

The main measure was frequent mental distress, a standard survey measure of reporting many days of poor mental health in the past 30 days. The researchers also looked at whether people had ever been told by a health professional that they had a depressive disorder, and they adjusted for factors such as age, income, education and physical health.

What It Found

Cancer caregivers had 89% higher odds of frequent mental distress than people who were not caregivers. People caring for someone with a condition other than cancer had 58% higher odds. Both groups of caregivers were also more likely to have been diagnosed with depression at some point: 34% higher odds for cancer caregivers and 44% higher odds for other caregivers.

Some caregivers were at higher risk than others. Women had 60% higher odds of frequent mental distress, and caregivers who reported 14 or more days of poor physical health in the past month had nearly five times the odds of frequent distress and nearly three times the odds of a depression diagnosis. Because this was a survey taken at one point in time, it shows a link between caregiving and distress but cannot prove that caregiving caused it.

What's Still Unknown

The survey did not ask about the type or stage of cancer, how long people had been caregiving or how many hours a week they spent on it, so the study cannot say which caregiving situations are hardest. It also covered only the states that used the caregiving questions, and people may report their own mental health differently over the phone. Research is still needed on which kinds of support work best for cancer caregivers.

What It Means for You

If you are caring for someone with cancer and feel worn down, anxious or low, you are not alone, and those feelings deserve attention. The authors noted that cancer caregivers are rarely checked for distress, and CURE has reported that distress screening for caregivers is needed but uncommon. You can bring up your own stress with your loved one's care team, which can often connect you with a social worker, counselor or caregiver support group, and with your own primary care doctor. Looking after your physical health, including sleep and your own medical care, also matters, since poor physical health was closely tied to distress in this study.

References

1. Ward JM, Blosnich JR, Champion V. [Article on mental distress and depression among informal cancer caregivers, BRFSS 2022–2023.] Supportive Care in Cancer. 2026;34(11):1100.

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