When my husband was diagnosed with Stage IVb oral cancer I knew that he had a very difficult time ahead of him, but I had no idea how challenging it would be for me as his caregiver. Almost everything I learned about being a caregiver I attribute to this forum. The caregiver experience is complex and there are relatively few studies that examine brief interventions that might benefit caregivers. In my professional life, I am a professor at the University of Maryland and focus my research on psychosocial aspects of health. I am currently conducting (along with one of my doctoral students) a research study investigating the benefits of a brief, on-line expressive writing intervention for caregivers. The University of Maryland IRB approves this study and I have Brian Hill�s permission to post the link to the study on the OCF forum (and Christine B�s help in facilitating this).
If you are a caregiver (currently spending about 3 hours daily on medical and other activities including tasks your loved one previously managed), I hope that you will read more about this study and consider participating in our efforts to learn more about the caregiving experience. The link to the study is below and following the link is a brief description of the study.
Best, Sophie H. (Mary Ann Hoffman, Ph.D.)
https://umdsurvey.umd.edu/SE/?SID=SV_cx9yds8u0Vs3vtHOnline Study for Caregivers
Are you an unpaid caregiver for a loved one? Do you provide care on a daily basis for at least 3 hours per day? Are you at least 18 years of age? If you answered �yes� to all of these questions, you may be eligible to participate in a study conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland.
This study explores participants� caregiving experiences through 2 brief surveys and 3 brief writing exercises completed on-line and at times that are convenient for you. Some people find writing helpful as a way to record what happens to them or as a way to talk about difficult experiences. There has been great interest in recent years in the benefits of expressive writing to understand important and challenging experiences in your life.
To participate, you must meet the eligibility requirements of the screening questionnaire.
Thank you!
Mary Ann Hoffman, Ph.D
Professor and Co-Director: Counseling Psychology
Fellow, American Psychological Association
Licensed Psychologist, Maryland and D.C.
University of Maryland, College Park
[email protected]Amy Fuhrmann, M.S.
Doctoral Candidate
Counseling Psychology
University of Maryland, College Park
[email protected]
