Forgotten person in the Huntington disease family

Abstract

Although spouses play a major role in managing the care of persons affected with Huntington disease (HD), often at the price of subordinating their own aspirations and needs, little or no professional attention has been given to them in the HD literature. Such factors as secrets kept from the spouse, the early age-of-onset of symptoms, gender, and the coping strategies employed by spouses of affected persons are discussed and illustrated. Also, the impact of predictive testing for HD on spouses of persons undergoing testing is briefly touched on.