Abstract
BackgroundThe Caregiver Inventory (CGI), a measure of self-efficacy for caregiving that takes into account aspects of caregiving that are neglected by current measures of caregiving, was translated into Italian and validated.MethodsNinety-one caregivers from a variety of locations in Italy completed the CGI-Italian (CGI-I) as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Family Strain Questionnaire - Short Form (FSQ-SF).ResultsA confirmatory factor analysis based on the original CGI factor structure resulted in an adequate fit of the CGI-I using standard fit indices. Thus, the original factor structure was validated in the CGI-I: Managing Medical Information (α = 0.87), Caring for Care Recipient (α = 0.68), Caring for Oneself (α = 0.78), and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions (α = 0.55). The CGI-I total score was inversely related to anxiety (HADS, r = − 0.35, p = <.05), and depression (HADS, r = − 0.45, p = <.05). In addition, the CGI-I was inversely related to caregiver stress (FSQ-SF, r = − 0.39, p = <.05). Care of Oneself and Managing Difficult Interactions/Emotions emerged as the strongest and most robust negative relationships with anxiety, depression, and caregiver stress, which replicated, with similar constructs, findings from the original CGI.ConclusionsThe results of this study established the CGI-I as a reliable and valid measure of self-efficacy for caregiving. This study also confirms the importance of self-care and managing difficult communication in the process of successfully navigating the demands of caregiving and in constructing interventions for caregivers who need support.
Highlights
Caregiver support plays an increasing role in the lives of those with a diagnosis of cancer because of the rising incidence of cancer world-wide and longer survival times of those with advanced and terminal disease
Considering that the cost of long-term care is increasing and the population that needs caregiving is growing, the numbers of family members who provide caregiving is increasing substantially [1, 6]. This situation has resulted in a focus on a closer analysis of the demands and consequences of caregiving [7], dimensions of caregiving [8], and models of caregiving that might be based in agency rather than burden [8]
Caregivers are typically people in the patient’s life who respond to their health, emotional, financial, and spiritual needs through all stages of the disease. They are generally not necessarily trained for many of the tasks they may be required to perform and may not be prepared for the emotional consequences, including primary stress related to direct caregiving and secondary stress, which may affect the quality of the caregiver’s physical, psychological, social and financial quality of life [4]
Summary
Caregiver support plays an increasing role in the lives of those with a diagnosis of cancer because of the rising incidence of cancer world-wide and longer survival times of those with advanced and terminal disease This combination of increased incidence and longevity has resulted in the need for greater assistance from informal. Caregivers have to monitor the patient’s health frequently and must engage in a variety of coping skills to deal with the emotional aspects of their own lives and those for whom they are providing care [10]. For this reason, cancer caregiving may significantly impact the psychological and physical health of family members [11]. The Caregiver Inventory (CGI), a measure of self-efficacy for caregiving that takes into account aspects of caregiving that are neglected by current measures of caregiving, was translated into Italian and validated
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