Owner quality of life, caregiver burden and anticipatory grief: How they differ, why it matters.

Background: Understanding client perspective is important for veterinary communications, particularly during problem visits. Key client experiences of caregiver burden, anticipatory grief and quality of life (QoL) have been previously examined in this context, but never simultaneously considered.

Methods: A sample of 393 owners of an elderly or seriously ill companion animal was recruited online to complete cross-sectional measures of psychosocial function, companion animal presentation and demographics.

Results: Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that owner caregiver burden, anticipatory grief and QoL reflect distinct constructs. Cluster analysis showed these experiences occur in four separate owner profiles: 'distressed', 'resilient', 'non-distressed' and owners experiencing strain due to 'other influences'. These groups appear to be differentially influenced by various factors, such as the companion animal's QoL, nature of the illness and the owner's attachment. They also show distinct differences in consideration of euthanasia and emotional functioning, including experience of stress and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Constructs of caregiver burden, anticipatory grief and QoL are not interchangeable and may differentially impact owner decisions and behaviour. The veterinarian's understanding of owner profiles relevant to these issues and distinguishing underlying features may foster effective communication.