My lede:

A third of surrogate decision-makers experience stress, guilt and other upsetting emotions related to their role in determining a loved one’s care, according to a March 1 Annals of Internal Medicine systematic review of 40 studies.

The emotional burden on surrogate decision-makers often lasts for months — and sometimes years — after the treatment choice, researchers found. One study cited in the review found that stress levels of surrogates were comparable to those of people who experienced construction disasters or lost their homes to fire.

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