Burden, Depression and Quality of Life in Carers of Newly Diagnosed Advanced Cancer Patients in Egypt

• Published in: Journal of pain and symptom management Vol. 67; no. 5; pp. e403 - e408
• Main Authors: El-Sherif, Rofida A.M., Shaban, Ahmed H., Abbas, Fatma A., Alsirafy, Samy A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Activities of Daily Living; Adult; Caregivers - psychology; caregiving burden; Cross-Sectional Studies; depression; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - psychology; Early palliative care; Egypt - epidemiology; family caregivers; Humans; incurable cancer; Neoplasms - therapy; Quality of Life - psychology; quality-of-life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Egypt; Early palliative care; incurable cancer; family caregivers; depression; quality-of-life; caregiving burden
• ISSN: 0885-3924; 1873-6513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.02.018

The goal of palliative care (PC) is to improve the quality of life (QoL) of patients with life-limiting illnesses as well as their families. Ideally, PC is integrated early in the course of life-limiting illnesses. Less attention has been paid to the need for early PC for family caregivers (FCs) in lower-income settings. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the burden experienced by FCs of newly diagnosed incurable cancer patients in Egypt and characterize its relation to depression and QoL. Ninety-five adult FCs of adult patients with newly diagnosed incurable cancer completed the 22-item Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and Short Form 12 (SF-12) to assess caregiving burden, depression, and QoL among FCs, respectively. The median (IQR) ZBI-22 score was 17(11–24) and 34% of FCs had significant burden (ZBI-22 score > 20). Assistance with late loss activities of daily living and availability for longer caregiving duration were associated significantly with higher caregiving burdens (P = 0.004 and 0.047, respectively). FCs with significant burden had significantly higher PHQ-9 scores (P = 0.0003). There was a significant negative correlation between ZBI-22 scores and the bodily pain, general health, mental health, physical function, role emotional, and social function subscales/items of SF-12. A substantial proportion of Egyptian FCs of incurable cancer patients experience significant burden early in the course of the disease. This burden is associated with depressive symptoms and worse QoL dimensions, physical, psychological, and social. In a lower-income setting, early PC interventions for FCs of incurable cancer patients are needed.