Abstract
The sundry circumstances that affect end-of-life care can have a determining role in the result of this experience, particularly in psychological morbidity levels before and after bereavement. The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of psychopathological symptoms and overburden among family caregivers in palliative care and to identify the circumstances associated with care provision. An attempt was made to evaluate the progress of psychopathological symptoms, identifying circumstantial factors that can interfere in acute grief. The sample consisted of 75 Portuguese caregivers, mostly women and patients' daughters. The results show that caregivers more involved with patient care bear a greater burden and are more likely to manifest psychopathological symptoms, which persist in acute grief. Moreover, the existence of peritraumatic symptoms seem to contribute significantly to the overall state of distress in acute grief. Social support has a protective effect in the different symptomatologic situations and are closely related to family dynamics. These results suggest the possibility of early identification of the most vulnerable caregivers and the adverse circumstances that affect them.
Highlights
Resumo As várias circunstâncias que afetam a prestação de cuidados em fim-de-vida podem ter um papel determinante no resultado desta experiência, nomeadamente nos níveis de morbilidade psicológica antes e depois da perda
The aim of this study is to describe the prevalence of psychopathological symptoms and overburden among family caregivers in palliative care and to identify the circumstances associated with care provision
An attempt was made to evaluate the progress of psychopathological symptoms, identifying circumstantial factors that can interfere in acute grief
Summary
Para a análise dos dados recolhidos foi utilizado o programa estatístico SPSS versão 22.0. Realizaram-se análises descritivas e de frequências para estabelecer a prevalência das variáveis em estudo (sociodemográficas, sobrecarga, dinâmica familiar, suporte social, ansiedade, depressão e somatização), utilizou-se as correlações de Spearman para avaliar as correlações entre as variáveis ordinais e entre ordinais e quantitativas, e as correlações de Pearson para examinar a relação entre variáveis quantitativas. Para analisar se uma variável quantitativa apresentava diferenças entre grupos foram utilizados os testes t-student e o não paramétrico Wilcoxon-Mann-Witney (quando as variáveis não cumpriam os pressupostos de normalidade e homogeneidade). Para a comparação entre as variáveis avaliadas no T0 e T1 (sobrecarga, ansiedade, depressão e somatização) utilizou-se o teste t-student para amostras emparelhadas. Verificou-se a normalidade das variáveis através dos coeficientes de assimetria e curtose. Os valores de assimetria foram considerados adequados quando inferiores a três e os de curtose quando inferiores a sete. Os resultados foram considerados estatisticamente significativos para p ≤ 0,05
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
