Influences of Psychological Well-being, Quality of Caregiver-patient Relationship, and Family Support on the Health of Family Caregivers for Cancer Patients in Taiwan

"It is now recognized that the ""cancer experience"" extends beyond diagnosis, treatment, and end-of-life care. Relative to individuals who have not faced a cancer diagnosis, cancer survivors report increased mental health concerns and lowered physical and psychological well-being (Langeveld et al., 2004). Health-related quality of life encompasses overall physical (e.g., energy, fatigue, pain, etc.) and psychological functioning (e.g., emotional well-being, etc.), as well as general health perceptions (Hays & Morales, 2001). Nayak and colleagues (2017) reported that 82.3% of cancer patients had below-average quality of life scores, with the lowest scores found in the general, physical, and psychological well-being domains. Research suggests that various positive lifestyle variables, including social connectedness, leisure activity, and mindfulness practices are associated with increased quality of life in cancer patients (Courtens et al., 1996; Fangel et al., 2013; Garland et al., 2017). In this study, 350 cancer survivors completed an online questionnaire package that included a detailed demographic questionnaire with medical and online support and leisure activity questions. Additional measures were included to assess quality of life (QLQ-C30; Aaronson et al., 1993), social connectedness (Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults, SELSA-S; DiTommaso et al., 2004), and mindfulness (Adolescent and Adult Mindfulness Scale, AAMS; Droutman et al., 2018). Results show that increased QOL is predicted by increased medical support, lower family loneliness, self-acceptance, and engaging in a variety of leisure activities. Encouraging family support, including the patient in the decision-making process, encouraging a variety of physically possible leisure activities, and normalizing negative emotions surrounding diagnosis and disease symptoms are all ways that overall QoL can be improved."

Download Full-text

Low Quality of Life (QoL) in Indian Breast Cancer Patients : A Critical Analysis of Up

10.21203/rs.3.rs-80999/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sanjiv Srivast ◽

Alpana Srivast ◽

Sandeep Tiwari

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Fear Of Recurrence ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Spiritual Well Being

Abstract BackgroundBreast cancer is the commonest of all cancers among women across the world and India being no exception to this deadly disease. There may be many symptoms due to cancer, some are complex but some are not complex. Measuring quality of life (QoL) is important to measure overall burden of disease. It is important to evaluate cancer specific QoL which is associated to all stages of this disease. Also Quality of Life is a term that adds various dimensions of quality of life such as physical, psychological, socio-economical, spiritual, cognitional & social dimensions. Balance between all the four domains (i.e. Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual) means good quality of life, but in India QoL in general is not good and if we talk of cancer patients its worst.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is assessment of QoL in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment through various modalities at different stages of disease.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study, a total of 150 breast cancer patients were included. Patients quality of life were assessed by Ferrel‘s Quality of Life Instrument-Breast Cancer patient version and the instrument is already validated by Ferrel BR et al (2012). These questionnaires consist of general well-being, psychological well-being, distress, fearfulness, social concerns and spiritual well-being. The data obtained gives Cronbach alpha value of 0.642 which is reliable enough for further study. The QoL in for most subjects was around 50% and is a cause of concern as this is quite low as compare to global standards. ResultsA significant relationship between type of cancer, amount of pain, and fatigue (tiredness) was found. However, none of the demographic variables (age, marital status, income) were significantly related to QoL. Education and type of treatment were found to be correlated with QoL. The physical well-being score was found to be Mean = 4.82, SD = 2.19. The Psychological well-being score was found to be Mean=4.95, SD=2.02. For social well-being score was found to be Mean=4.98, SD=1.94. The highest score was for spiritual well-being Mean = 5.32, SD = 2.46.ConclusionInfluencing quality of life (QoL) is an important issue in Breast cancer patients. Apart from effect of treatment there are other factors like socioeconomic status, psychological well-being, fear of recurrence etc., Which plays a pivotal role in patients wellbeing and if counseled at various levels like family, hospital and society can improve QoL.

Download Full-text

Effects of dignity therapy on dignity, psychological well‐being, and quality of life among palliative care cancer patients: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Psycho-Oncology ◽

10.1002/pon.5162 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (9) ◽

pp. 1791-1802 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jinnan Xiao ◽

Ka Ming Chow ◽

Yunhong Liu ◽

Carmen W.H. Chan

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Dignity Therapy

Download Full-text

THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS , EXPERIENCE OF THE MOHAMED 6 CENTER FOR THE TREATMENT OF GYNECOLOGICAL BREAST CANCER

International Journal of Advanced Research ◽

10.21474/ijar01/13170 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (07) ◽

pp. 682-700

Author(s):

Sarroukh a ◽

◽

Benbouchaib b ◽

Benhessou c ◽

Ennachit d ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Well Being ◽

Functional Study ◽

Life Questionnaire ◽

Breast Cancer Patients ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer amongst women. It is a serious disease that impacts all aspects of the patients life and goes beyond that to touch the lives of all their loved ones. This work aims to evaluate the impact cancer has on the lives of our patients and their loves ones, namely: their social, economic and psychological well-being. Methodology: We have conducted a cross-functional study at the Mohamed VI Center of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, between May and July of 2017, leveraging 2 sets of questions, including the Arabic Dialect version of the quality of life questionnaire, in its 2 versions: Family and Patient. Results: The average age of the patients sample was 26-43. Amongst the studied aspects, fear was the most negatively impacted spiritual, physical, and social well- being were the least impacted. 50, 9 % of patients were accompanied, 69, 6 % of companions were females. Amongst the companions, psychological well-being was most negatively impacted. Conclusion: The patients and their companions had their quality of life severely negatively impacted, in all aspects. As such, caring for cancer patients must be done in all-inclusive manner, taking into account their life quality and their lives loves ones, who are their main source of support during their ordeal.

Download Full-text

Psychosocial Factors Predicting Resilience in Family Caregivers of Children with Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18020748 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 748

Author(s):

Filiberto Toledano-Toledano ◽

David Luna ◽

José Moral de la Rubia ◽

Silvia Martínez Valverde ◽

Carlos Alberto Bermúdez Morón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Psychosocial Factors ◽

Caregiver Burden ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

Children With Cancer ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Sociodemographic Variables

Chronic diseases in childhood can affect the physical and mental health of patients and their families. The objective of this study was to identify the sociodemographic and psychosocial factors that predict resilience in family caregivers of children with cancer and to define whether there are differences in the levels of resilience derived from these sociodemographic variables. Three hundred and thirty family caregivers of children with cancer, with an average age of 32.6 years were interviewed. The caregivers responded to a battery of tests that included a questionnaire of sociodemographic variables, the Measuring Scale of Resilience, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Inventory of Quality of Life, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, an interview of caregiver burden and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index. The main findings indicate that family caregivers of children with cancer reported high levels of resilience, which were associated positively with quality of life, psychological well-being and years of study and associated negatively with depression, anxiety and caregiver burden. The variables that predicted resilience in families of children with cancer were quality of life, psychological well-being, depression and number of children. Family caregivers who were married and Catholic showed higher resilience scores. We conclude that being a caregiver in a family with children with cancer is associated with symptoms of anxiety and with depressive episodes. These issues can be overcome through family strength, well-being, quality of life and positive adaptation processes and mobilization of family resources.

Download Full-text

Caregivers’ perception of advanced cancer patients’ quality of death: Impact on caregiver suicidal ideation in bereavement.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2013.31.15_suppl.9522 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (15_suppl) ◽

pp. 9522-9522

Author(s):

Caroline H Abbott ◽

Holly Gwen Prigerson ◽

Paul K Maciejewski

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Advanced Cancer ◽

Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Well Being ◽

Advanced Cancer Patients ◽

Positive Screen ◽

Quality Of Death

9522 Background: Evidence suggests that patients’ quality of life (QOL) at the end of life (EOL), i.e., patients’ quality of death, may affect the health and well-being of informal family caregivers. Here we examine the relationship between family caregivers’ perception of patients’ QOL at the EOL and caregiver suicidal ideation in bereavement. Methods: Our analysis was based on data from a sub-sample of family caregivers (N=112) from the Coping with Cancer Study, an NCI-funded multicenter prospective cohort investigation of advanced cancer patients and their caregivers enrolled September 2002 – February 2008. Caregiver baseline suicidal ideation was assessed using the Yale Evaluation of Suicidality (YES) Scale a median of 4.1 months pre-loss; caregivers’ perception of patients’ overall distress in the last week of life was assessed a median of 1.9 months post-loss; and caregiver suicidal ideation in bereavement was assessed using the YES a median of 6.5 months post-loss. Suicidal ideation was defined as a positive screen on the YES. Multiple logistic regression analysis examined the effect of caregivers’ perception of patients’ quality of death on bereaved caregiver suicidal ideation, adjusting for caregivers’ baseline suicidal ideation and potential demographic confounds. Results: Caregivers’ perception of patients’ overall distress at the EOL was significantly related to caregivers’ suicidal ideation post-loss (AOR=1.26, p=0.022) adjusting for caregivers’ baseline suicidal ideation, relationship to patient, and years of education. Conclusions: The more caregivers’ perceive their loved ones’ quality of death to be poor, the more they are at risk for suicidal ideation in bereavement. Improving QOL at the EOL will not only benefit patients but also protect caregivers from suicidal ideation.

Download Full-text