Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov;59(11):572-577.
doi: 10.11622/smedj.2018066. Epub 2018 Jun 7.

Predictors of depression and anxiety among caregivers of hospitalised advanced cancer patients

Aytül Karabekiroğlu  1 , Esra Yancar Demir  2 , Servet Aker  3 , Birsen Kocamanoğlu  4 , Gamze Sırmalı Karabulut  5
Affiliations

Predictors of depression and anxiety among caregivers of hospitalised advanced cancer patients

Aytül Karabekiroğlu et al. Singapore Med J. 2018 Nov.

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment and care. Caregivers of cancer patients are at greater risk of developing depression than the general population. The effect of caregivers' cognitive flexibility on depression and anxiety has not been well studied. We aimed to investigate the social characteristics, burden levels and cognitive flexibility of caregivers of advanced cancer patients, and determine the relationship between these factors and depression and anxiety. We hypothesised that factors such as cognitive flexibility and caregiver burden level significantly predict anxiety and depression.

Methods: The study included 69 primary informal caregivers of patients with Stage 4 cancer. Methods utilised included diagnostic semi-structured interviews, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Zarit Caregiver Burden Inventory and cognitive flexibility inventory.

Results: BDI scores were found to be significantly higher in caregivers who cared for men compared to those who cared for women (20.44 ± 2.06 vs. 13.29 ± 1.81; t = 2.60; p = 0.01). BDI mean scores were statistically lower in caregivers who received help with caregiving compared to those who did not (t = 2.62; p = 0.01). Cognitive flexibility level, burden level and lack of social support were found to be predictors of caregiver depression.

Conclusion: The study showed that individuals with low cognitive flexibility levels are more likely to have depressive and anxiety symptoms. Based on our findings, we opine that evaluations of caregivers' cognitive strategies and social support are needed to determine the risk of depression in caregivers of cancer patients.

Keywords: anxiety; cancer; caregiver; cognitive flexibility; depression.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Given BA, Sherwood P, Given CW. Support for caregivers of cancer patients: transition after active treatment. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2011;20:2015–21. - PubMed
    1. Northouse L. A longitudinal study of the adjustment of patients and husbands to breast cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum. 1989;16:511–6. - PubMed
    1. Oberst MT, Thomas SE, Gass KA, Ward SE. Caregiving demands and appraisal of stress among family caregivers. Cancer Nurs. 1989;12:209–15. - PubMed
    1. McCorkle R, Siefert ML, Dowd MF, Robinson JP, Pickett M. Effects of advanced practice nursing on patient and spouse depressive symptoms, sexual function, and marital interaction after radical prostatectomy. Urol Nurs. 2007;27:65–77. discussion 78-80. - PubMed
    1. Mellon S, Northouse LL, Weiss LK. A population-based study of the quality of life of cancer survivors and their family caregivers. Cancer Nurs. 2006;29:120–31. quiz 132-3. - PubMed