Resilience and its influencing factors analysis in spouses of advanced cancer patients

Abstract

Objective To explore the resilience in spouses of advanced cancer patients and its influencing factors. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 192 cases of spouses of advanced cancer patients in a ClassⅢ Grade A cancer hospital. A self-designed demographic questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZCBI) and the Trait Coping Style Questionnaire (TCSQ) were applied in the investigation. The resilience influencing factors of advanced cancer patients' spouses were analyzed with t-test, one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA), Pearson correlation analysis and multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis. Results The overall resilience score for spouses of advanced cancer patients was (30.16±7.54). It was showed in the one-way ANOVA that the differences of resilience were statistically significant in different genders, education levels, family monthly income, payment method and whether or not having assisted-caregivers (P<0.05). The Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that the resilience of patients' spouses was negatively correlated with care burden and negative coping, and positively correlated with positive coping (P<0.05). The multivariate linear stepwise regression analysis showed family income, whether or not having assisted-caregivers, care burden, stress positive coping and negative coping were the influencing factors of the resilience of the spouses of advanced cancer patients (P<0.05). Conclusions The resilience of the spouses of advanced cancer patients is poor and their care burden is heavy, so they tend to cope with the stress negatively. Thus, clinical nursing staff are advised to pay attention to the spouses with low family income, no assisted-caregiver, heavy care burden and negative coping style. Key words: Neoplasms; Spouses; Terminal care; Resilience, psychological; Care burden; Coping methods