Caring for the caregiver while caring for the patient: exploring the dyadic relationship between patient spirituality and caregiver quality of life.
Support Care Cancer
; 23(12): 3403-6, 2015 Dec.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-26335405
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Caregivers of cancer patients experience much psychological stress due to the heavy responsibility of caregiving. Dyadic studies on the patient-caregiver relationship have shown that caregivers' quality of life (QOL) are affected by their care recipients' psychological variables. In this exploratory study, focus is placed on spirituality in patients--an emerging area of interest--and its impact on their caregivers' QOL. Because of spirituality's links with optimism and resilience, they were also investigated as possible mediators in the dyadic relationship.METHOD:
Patients completed measures of spirituality (FACIT-Sp-12), optimism (LOT-R), and resilience (RAS); their family caregivers completed a measure of QOL (CQOLC). Both patients and family caregivers completed a sociodemographic survey. Regression analyses were used to analysis the data.RESULTS:
Regression analyses following Baron and Kenny's (1986) mediation framework was carried out. Results indicated that spirituality as a whole did not predict caregiver QOL. However, further analyses showed that while the meaning-making aspect of spirituality did predict caregiver QOL, the faith aspect did not. Mediatory analyses indicated that both optimism and resilience were not mediators; hence, confirmatory Sobel's tests which had been originally planned were not conducted. Nonetheless, optimism and resilience were correlated with meaning-making.DISCUSSION:
Patients who make meaning of their cancer illness exert a positive influence on their caregivers' well-being. This provides support for interventions that encourage patients to reappraise their illness situation, as such interventions not only benefit patients but also enhance the quality of life for their caregivers.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Qualidade de Vida
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Estresse Psicológico
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Cuidadores
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Espiritualidade
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Empatia
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Neoplasias
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
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Qualitative_research
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2015
Tipo de documento:
Article