Variables associated with distress amongst informal caregivers of people with lung cancer: A systematic review of the literature

Abstract

Objective Informal caregivers of people with lung cancer often experience a substantial care burden and associated negative consequences due to the often‐contracted course of the disease. The objective of this review was to systematically examine the evidence on the factors associated with lung cancer caregiver distress. Methods Five databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Web of Science) were searched for studies investigating factors associated with distress amongst caregivers of people with lung cancer. Empirical studies published up to July 2020 were included if they measured distress using a valid and reliable measure and examined its association with at least one other factor, with a sample of 50 or more caregivers. Results Thirty publications describing 27 studies (16 cross‐sectional; 6 prospective; 8 intervention) involving 3744 caregivers (primarily spouse or adult child) were included. A narrative synthesis of the findings is presented due to heterogeneity in study design, variables measured and analyses conducted. Patient variables associated with greater distress included: stage of cancer and quality of spousal relationship. Caregiver variables associated with higher distress included: social support, coping strategies and self‐efficacy. Conclusions Several variables were associated with distress amongst lung cancer caregivers. Understanding these variables could inform the development of interventions that will enable caregivers to care effectively while maintaining their own well‐being. Screening for distress among caregivers may identify those caregivers who would benefit from early intervention.

Elderly Caregivers’ Awareness of Caregiving Health Risks

“…Other treatment variables, which were expected to be significantly associated with caregiving awareness, as noted in Cochrane et al’s systematic review [ 49 ], were found to be statistically significant in the bivariate analysis but not in the multivariate analysis. These include the degree of religiosity and financial status, along with the number of treatment days per week and involvement in patient care activities.…”

Understanding and Supporting Informal Cancer Caregivers

“…Caregivers may have more positive memories if they perceive that what they have done has fulfilled the wishes of the patient, despite the experience of emotional difficulties during the end-of-life transition [ 55 , 56 ]. Although most caregivers will gradually return to normal life after the death of the patient, some may experience severe post-loss distress, which can result in higher levels of anxiety and depression [ 58 – 60 ]. Parents of children who have died of cancer are likely to experience post-loss distress and prolonged grief symptoms due to regret and unfinished business [ 61 ].…”

“…Other identified intrapersonal factors are the coping strategies, self-efficacy, and resilience of caregivers [ 60 , 71 ]. Maladaptive coping by caregivers is associated with a poorer health profile in cancer survivorship and end-of-life care [ 68 , 72 ] and prolonged grief symptoms in bereavement [ 72 , 73 ].…”

“…Cumulative evidence has shown that social support from friends and other family members predicts lower caregiver burden and better physical and mental health [ 60 , 63 •]. This may be attributed to the reinforcement of resilience of caregivers by social support [ 88 ].…”

Percepção dos Enfermeiros a respeito das dificuldades vivenciadas em um Centro Oncológico de Alta Complexidade

“…Nesse ponto de vista, outro fator importante é que os enfermeiros que trabalham nos cenários oncológicos experimentam intenso estresse emocional devido às recorrentes perdas, terapêuticas prolongadas e complexas, pacientes com níveis álgicos elevados, entre outras situações estressoras. Quanto ao manejo das múltiplas emoções, esses profissionais gerenciam não só as dos pacientes, bem como as suas também Carmo et al, 2019;Cochrane et al, 2021) Devido ao papel crítico dos enfermeiros oncológicos no atendimento aos pacientes, entender os fatores que influenciam sua satisfação e desempenho no ambiente de trabalho tem implicações importantes para a prática clínica. A satisfação no trabalho entre eles é um fenômeno variável e complexo que depende de inúmeros fatores, como, equipamentos adequados, segurança e remuneração no emprego, oportunidades de desenvolvimento, apoio do supervisor, autonomia, qualidade das relações no ambiente laboral e a sensação de que o trabalho faz a diferença (Kitajima et al, 2020).…”