Prolonged grief disorder and depression are distinguishable syndromes: A latent transition analysis for bereaved family caregivers of cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether distinctive prolonged-grief-disorder- (PGD) and depressive-symptom states emerge among family caregivers of cancer patients over their first 2 years of bereavement. This may extend cross-sectional evidence that PGD and major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms can co-occur/occur independently and validate their construct distinctiveness. METHODS: In this secondary-analysis study, PGD symptoms and depressive symptoms were measured over 666 caregivers using 11 grief symptom items of the Prolonged Grief-13 scale and 16 items of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale, respectively. Distinct PGD/depressive-symptom states were identified by latent transition analysis with dichotomous indicators (presence/absence) of PGD or depressive symptoms. RESULTS: Four distinct PGD/depressive-symptom states emerged. The resilient and subthreshold depression-dominant states showed low and moderate probabilities of the presence of majority of depressive symptoms, respectively, with no PGD symptoms having a greater than moderate probability of presence. The depression-dominant state was marked by a high probability of the presence for 9 of 16 depressive symptoms, with moderate probabilities for almost all PGD symptoms. The PGD-depression comorbid state was characterized by a high probability of presence of all PGD symptoms and depressive symptoms, except for moderate probabilities of presence of two depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our longitudinal identification of a predominantly depressive state but absence of a PGD-dominant state provides further evidence that PGD and MDD are related but distinct constructs that can occur independently or concurrently as the PGD-depression comorbid state. When PGD is suspected, bereaved individuals should be assessed for the potential comorbidity of MDD.

Associations of death-preparedness states with bereavement outcomes for family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Death preparedness involves cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional acceptance of a relative's death. Effects of retrospectively assessed cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for patient death have been individually investigated among bereaved family caregivers. We aimed to prospectively examine associations of caregivers' death-preparedness states, determined by conjoint cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death, with bereavement outcomes. METHODS: Associations of caregivers' death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness, cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) at last preloss assessment with bereavement outcomes over the first two bereavement years were evaluated among 332 caregivers of advanced cancer patients using hierarchical linear models with the logit-transformed posterior probability for each death-preparedness state. RESULTS: Caregivers with a higher logit-transformed posterior probability for sufficient death-preparedness state reported less prolonged-grief symptoms, lower likelihoods of severe depressive symptoms and heightened decisional regret, and better mental health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Caregivers with a higher logit-transformed posterior probability for no-death-preparedness state reported less prolonged-grief symptoms, a lower likelihood of severe depressive symptoms, and better mental HRQOL. A higher logit-transformed posterior probability for cognitive-death-preparedness-only state was associated with bereaved caregivers' higher likelihood of heightened decisional regret, whereas that for emotional-death-preparedness-only state was not associated with caregivers' bereavement outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers' bereavement outcomes were associated with their preloss death-preparedness states, except for physical health-related QOL. Interventions focused on not only cultivating caregivers' accurate prognostic awareness but also adequately preparing them emotionally for their relative's forthcoming death are actionable opportunities for high-quality end-of-life care and are urgently warranted to facilitate caregivers' bereavement adjustment.

Associations of surrogates' death-preparedness states with decisional conflict and heightened decisional regret over cancer patients' last 6 months of life.

OBJECTIVE: Preparing family surrogates for patient death and end-of-life (EOL) decision making may reduce surrogate decisional conflict and regret. Preparedness for patient death involves cognitive and emotional preparedness. We assessed the associations of surrogates' death-preparedness states (that integrate both cognitive and emotional preparedness for patient death) with surrogates' decisional conflict and regret. METHODS: Associations of 173 surrogates' death-preparedness states (no, cognitive-only, emotional-only, and sufficient preparedness states) with decisional conflict (measured by the Decision Conflict Scale) and heightened decisional regret (Decision Regret Scale scores >25) were evaluated using hierarchical linear modeling and hierarchical generalized linear modeling, respectively, during a longitudinal observational study at a medical center over cancer patients' last 6 months. RESULTS: Surrogates reported high decisional conflict (mean [standard deviation] = 41.48 [6.05]), and 52.7% of assessments exceeded the threshold for heightened decisional regret. Surrogates in the cognitive-only preparedness state reported a significantly higher level of decisional conflict (ß = 3.010 [95% CI = 1.124, 4.896]) than those in the sufficient preparedness state. Surrogates in the no (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] [95% CI] = 0.293 [0.113, 0.733]) and emotional-only (AOR [95% CI] = 0.359 [0.149, 0.866]) preparedness states were less likely to suffer heightened decisional regret than those in the sufficient preparedness state. CONCLUSIONS: Surrogates' decisional conflict and heightened decisional regret are associated with their death-preparedness states. Improving emotional preparedness for the patient's death among surrogates in the cognitive-only preparedness state and meeting the specific needs of those in the no, emotional-only, and sufficient preparedness states are actionable high-quality EOL-care interventions that may lessen decisional conflict and decisional regret.

Modifiable factors of depressive-symptom trajectories from caregiving through bereavement.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The purpose of this secondary-analysis study was to identify never-before-examined factors associated with distinct depressive-symptom trajectories among family caregivers from end-of-life caregiving through the first 2 bereavement years. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS: Participants (N=661) were family caregivers who provided end-of-life caregiving for terminally ill cancer patients. Multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to identify modifiable factors associated with caregivers' seven previously identified depressive-symptom trajectories: minimal-impact resilience, recovery, preloss-depressive-only, delayed symptomatic, relief, prolonged symptomatic, and chronically persistent distressed. Drawing from the stress-appraisal-coping model, modifiable time-varying factors associated with distinct depressive-symptom trajectories were examined in three domains: (1) stressors, (2) stress appraisal, and (3) available resources (internal coping capacity and external social support). RESULTS: Profound objective caregiving demands were associated with caregivers' increased likelihood of belonging to more distressing depressive-symptom trajectories than to the minimal-impact-resilience trajectory. But, stronger negative appraisal of end-of-life caregiving increased odds of caregiver membership in preloss-depressive-only and relief trajectories over the recovery, delayed, and prolonged-symptomatic trajectories. Stronger internal coping capacity and perceived social support buffered the tremendous stress of end-of-life caregiving and permanent loss of a relative, as evidenced by higher odds of being in the minimal-impact-resilience and recovery trajectories. CONCLUSION: Family caregivers' distinct depressive-symptom trajectories were linked to their preloss caregiving demands, appraisal of negative caregiving impact, personal coping capacity, and perceived social support. Our results highlight actionable opportunities to improve end-of-life-care quality by boosting family caregivers' coping capacity and enhancing their social support to help them adequately manage daily caregiving loads/burdens thus relieving the emotional toll before patient death and throughout bereavement.

Predictors of Family Caregivers' Depressive- and Prolonged-Grief-Disorder-Symptom Trajectories.

OBJECTIVE: Depression and prolonged grief disorder (PGD) are related but distinct constructs with different risk factors and treatments. We aimed to determine commonality and differences in factors predicting membership in depressive- and PGD-symptom trajectories to highlight uniqueness of each construct to guide further care and treatments. METHODS: We previously identified four shared trajectories for depressive- and PGD-symptom trajectories (endurance, transient-reaction, resilience, and prolonged-symptomatic) with unique trajectories of chronically distressed and potential recurrence for depressive and PGD symptoms, respectively. This secondary-analysis study examined pre- and postloss factors predisposing 849 bereaved caregivers of cancer patients to membership in depressive- and PGD-symptom trajectories from the integrative framework of predictors for bereavement outcomes by a multinomial logistic regression model (the "endurance" trajectory as reference). RESULTS: Common factors predicted membership in depressive- and PGD-symptom trajectories: higher postloss personal coping capacity protected from more distressing symptom trajectories, spousal relationship with the patient predicted membership in the transient-reaction trajectory, while financial hardship and preloss depressive symptoms predicted for the resilience trajectory. Yet, accurate prognostic awareness protected caregivers from more distressing depressive-symptom trajectories only. Higher preloss subjective caregiving burden protected caregivers from the four more distressing depressive-symptom trajectories but only from the transient-reaction and resilience trajectories for PGD symptoms. CONCLUSION: Commonality and differences in factors predicting membership in PGD- and depressive-symptom trajectories confirm that PGD and depression are related but distinct constructs. Interventions should be tailored to caregivers' unique risk profile for depressive- and PGD-symptom trajectories to reduce the likelihood of suffering both or individual symptom trajectories.

Sufficient Death Preparedness Correlates to Better Mental Health, Quality of Life, and EOL Care.

CONTEXT: Patients can prepare for end of life and their forthcoming death to enhance the quality of dying. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to longitudinally evaluate the never-before-examined associations of cancer patients' death-preparedness states by conjoint cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death with psychological distress, quality of life (QOL), and end-of-life care received. METHODS: In this cohort study, we simultaneously evaluated associations of four previously identified death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness, cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) with anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and QOL over 383 cancer patients' last six months and end-of-life care received in the last month using multivariate hierarchical linear modeling and logistic regression modeling, respectively. Minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) have been established for anxiety- (1.3-1.8) and depressive- (1.5-1.7) symptom subscales (0-21 Likert scales). RESULTS: Patients in the no-death-preparedness and cognitive-death-preparedness-only states reported increases in anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms that exceed the MCIDs, and a decline in QOL from those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Patients in the emotional-death-preparedness-only state were more (OR [95% CI]=2.38 [1.14, 4.97]) and less (OR [95% CI]=0.38 [0.15, 0.94]) likely to receive chemotherapy/immunotherapy and hospice care, respectively, than those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Death-preparedness states were not associated with life-sustaining treatments received in the last month. CONCLUSION: Conjoint cognitive and emotional preparedness for death is associated with cancer patients' lower psychological distress, better QOL, reduced anti-cancer therapy, and increased hospice-care utilization. Facilitating accurate prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death is justified when consistent with patient circumstances and preferences.

Caregivers' Death-Preparedness States Impact Caregiving Outcomes and Patients' End-of-Life Care.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Preparing family caregivers, cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally, for their relative's death is an actionable component of high-quality end-of-life care. We aimed to examine the never-before-examined associations of conjoint cognitive prognostic awareness and emotional preparedness for death with caregiving outcomes and end-of-life care received by cancer patients. DESIGN/SETTING/PARTICIPANTS/MAIN MEASURES: For this longitudinal study, associations of death-preparedness states (no-death-preparedness, cognitive-death-preparedness-only, emotional-death-preparedness-only, and sufficient-death-preparedness states) with subjective caregiving burden, depressive symptoms, and quality of life (QOL) and patients' end-of-life care (chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, intensive care unit care, intubation, mechanical ventilation support, vasopressors, nasogastric tube feeding, and hospice care) were evaluated using multivariate hierarchical linear and logistic regression modeling, respectively, for 377 caregivers in cancer patients' last 6 months and 1 month, respectively. KEY RESULTS: Caregivers in the cognitive-death-preparedness-only state experienced a higher level of subjective caregiving burden than those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Caregivers in the no-death-preparedness and cognitive-death-preparedness-only states reported significantly more depressive symptoms and worse QOL than those in the sufficient-death-preparedness state. Cancer patients with caregivers in the sufficient-death-preparedness state were less likely to receive chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy, intubation, mechanical ventilation, and nasogastric tube feeding than patients with caregivers in other death-preparedness states. However, patients' receipt of hospice care was not associated with their caregivers' death-preparedness states. CONCLUSION: Family caregivers' death-preparedness states were associated with caregiving outcomes and their relative's end-of-life care. Cultivating caregivers' accurate prognostic awareness and improving their emotional preparedness for their relative's death may facilitate more favorable end-of-life-caregiving outcomes and may limit potentially nonbeneficial end-of-life care.

Translational research of telecare for the treatment of hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a serious health problem in Taiwan. The high dropout rate due to side effects limits the efficacy of treatment. The objective of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of telecare for the treatment of chronic hepatitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-eight patients randomly chose either of the two support programs. Group 1 was offered public health nurse consultation at outpatient clinic. Group 2 was offered telecare program with 24 hours of consultation services via a health communication center. All patients were treated with standard therapy and followed up for 72 weeks. RESULTS: Normalization of serum biochemistry was noted in both Group 1 (150 patients) and Group 2 (148 patients). The most common types of side effect in both groups were influenza-like symptoms. Patient compliance was 88% (Group 1) and 94.6% (Group 2). Total dropout cases were 18 (12%) in Group 1 and 8 (5.4%) in Group 2. The program costs were 232,632 USD (Group 1) and 112,500 USD (Group 2). CONCLUSION: Telecare system with health care communication center model is significant in reducing dropout rate and is more effective with easy access.