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
Review
. 2021 Jun:52:101933.
doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2021.101933. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Self-efficacy in caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer: An integrative review

Affiliations
Review

Self-efficacy in caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer: An integrative review

Megan C Thomas Hebdon et al. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Purpose: Cancer caregivers experience health challenges related to their caregiving role, and self-efficacy can contribute to health outcomes through behavioral, environmental, and personal factors. The purpose of this integrative review was to examine self-efficacy in caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer, including its association with health factors.

Method: A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo yielded 560 articles. Following duplicate removal, 232 articles were screened for inclusion criteria with 71 articles remaining for final review.

Results: Studies were generally quantitative (n = 67), with predominantly female (n = 55), White (n = 36) caregivers, between the ages of 45-60 (n = 48). Self-efficacy was significantly associated with quality of life, caregiver function, social support, hope, depression, anxiety, and burden as a predictor, mediator, and outcome. Physical health and social determinants of health (social support and financial well-being) were addressed among fewer studies than mental and emotional health outcomes.

Conclusions: Addressing self-efficacy in diverse populations and within physical, mental, and social health contexts will enhance understanding of how self-efficacy impacts caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer. Nurses and other health care professionals can then effectively address supportive needs of caregivers in the personal, behavioral, and environmental domains.

Keywords: Cancer; Caregiver; Caregiving; Health outcomes; Integrative review; Self-efficacy; Social determinants of health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of Interest: None

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Modified PRISMA Diagram

References

    1. American Cancer Society. 2018. Global Cancer Facts & Figures. 4th ed.Atlanta, GA: American Cancer Society.
    1. Adelman RD, Tmanova LL, Delgado D, Dion S, & Lachs MS 2014. Caregiver burden: a clinical review. JAMA, 311, 1052–1060. 10.1001/jama.2014.304 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bachner YG & Carmel S 2009. Open communication between caregivers and terminally ill cancer patients: the role of caregivers’ characteristics and situational variables. Health Commun, 24, 524–531. 10.1080/10410230903104913 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Backner YG, Yosef-Sela N, & Carmel S 2014. Open communication with terminally ill cancer patients about illness and death: a comparison between spouses of Ashkenazi and Sephardi ethnic origins. Cancer Nurs, 37, 50–8. 10.1097/NCC.0b013e31827b5c7a - DOI - PubMed
    1. Badger TA, Segrin C, Sikorskii A, Pasvogel A, Weihs K, Lopez AM, & Chalasani P 2020. Randomized controlled trial of supportive care interventions to manage psychological distress and symptoms in Latinas with breast cancer and their informal caregivers. Psychol Health, 35, 87–106. 10.1080/08870446.2019.1626395 - DOI - PubMed