Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:53:26.001Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Influence of caregiver personality on the burden of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2015

Ha-Hyun Kim ,
Seon-Young Kim ,
Jae-Min Kim ,
Sung-Wan Kim ,
Il-Seon Shin ,
Hyun-Jeong Shim ,
Jun-Eul Hwang ,
Ik-Joo Chung  and
Jin-Sang Yoon
Ha-Hyun Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Il Gok Yangji Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
Seon-Young Kim*
Affiliation:
Mental Health Clinic, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Korea Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Jae-Min Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Sung-Wan Kim
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Il-Seon Shin
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Hyun-Jeong Shim
Affiliation:
Department of Hemato-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Jun-Eul Hwang
Affiliation:
Department of Hemato-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Ik-Joo Chung
Affiliation:
Department of Hemato-Oncology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
Jin-Sang Yoon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Seon-Young Kim, Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-757, Republic of Korea. E-Mail: sykimpsy@chonnam.ac.kr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the influence of caregiver personality and other factors on the burden of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients.

Method:

We investigated a wide range of factors related to the patient–family caregiver dyad in a palliative care setting using a cross-sectional design. Caregiver burden was assessed using the seven-item short version of the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI–7). Caregiver personality was assessed using the 10-item short version of the Big Five Inventory (BFI–10), which measures the following five personality dimensions: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Patient- and caregiver-related sociodemographic and psychological factors were included in the analysis because of their potential association with caregiver burden. Clinical patient data were obtained from medical charts or by using other measures. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the independent factors associated with caregiver burden.

Results:

We analyzed 227 patient–family caregiver dyads. The multivariate analysis revealed that caregiver extroversion was protective against caregiver burden, whereas depressive symptoms in caregivers were related to increased burden. Neuroticism was positively correlated with caregiver burden, but this relationship was nonsignificant following adjustment for depressive symptoms. Patient-related factors were not significantly associated with caregiver burden.

Significance of Results:

Evaluating caregiver personality traits could facilitate identification of individuals at greater risk of high burden. Furthermore, depression screening and treatment programs for caregivers in palliative care settings are required to decrease caregiver burden.

Keywords

BurdenPersonalityExtroversionDepressionPalliative care
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , February 2016 , pp. 5 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Addington-Hall, J.M. & O'Callaghan, A.C. (2009). A comparison of the quality of care provided to cancer patients in the United Kingdom in the last three months of life in inpatient hospices compared with hospitals, from the perspective of bereaved relatives: Results from a survey using the VOICES questionnaire. Palliative Medicine, 23, 190–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Adejumo, A. (2009). Influence of social support, depression, and self-esteem on burden of care among caregivers of oncology patients. World Hospitals and Health Services, 45, 19–21.Google Scholar
Ahn, Y.M., Lee, K.Y., Yi, J.S., et al. (2005). A validation study of the Korean version of the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale. Journal of the Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, 44, 466–476.Google Scholar
Amirkhan, J.H., Risinger, R.T. & Swickert, R.J. (1995). Extroversion: A “hidden” personality factor in coping? Journal of Personality, 63, 189–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Andrews, S.C. (2001). Caregiver burden and symptom distress in people with cancer receiving hospice care. Oncology Nursing Forum, 28, 1469–1474.Google Scholar
Braun, M., Mikulincer, M., Rydall, A., et al. (2007). Hidden morbidity in cancer: Spouse caregivers. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25, 4829–4834.Google Scholar
Contador, I., Fernandez-Calvo, B., Palenzuela, D.L., et al. (2012). Prediction of burden in family caregivers of patients with dementia: A perspective of optimism based on generalized expectancies of control. Aging & Mental Health, 16, 675–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
de Conno, F., Caraceni, A., Gamba, A., et al. (1994). Pain measurement in cancer patients: A comparison of six methods. Pain, 57, 161–166.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Given, B., Wyatt, G., Given, C., et al. (2004). Burden and depression among caregivers of patients with cancer at the end of life. Oncology Nursing Forum, 31, 1105–1117.Google Scholar
Goldstein, N.E., Concato, J., Fried, T.R., et al. (2004). Factors associated with caregiver burden among caregivers of terminally ill patients with cancer. Journal of Palliative Care, 20, 38–43.Google Scholar
González-Abraldes, I., Millán-Calenti, J.C., Lorenzo-López, L., et al. (2013). The influence of neuroticism and extroversion on the perceived burden of dementia caregivers: An exploratory study. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 56, 91–95.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gort, A.M., March, J., Gomez, X., et al. (2005). Short Zarit scale in palliative care. Medicina Clínica (Barcelona), 124, 651–653.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Grov, E.K., Fossa, S.D., Tonnessen, A., et al. (2006). The caregiver reaction assessment: Psychometrics, and temporal stability in primary caregivers of Norwegian cancer patients in late palliative phase. Psycho-Oncology, 15, 517–527.Google Scholar
Groves, M.S. & Muskin, P.R. (2011). Psychological responses to illness. In textbook of psychosomatic medicine, 2nd ed.Levenson, J.L. (ed.), pp.48–49. Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing.Google Scholar
Grunfeld, E., Coyle, D., Whelan, T., et al. (2004). Family caregiver burden: Results of a longitudinal study of breast cancer patients and their principal caregivers. CMAJ, 170, 1795–1801.Google Scholar
Han, Y., Yuan, J., Luo, Z., et al. (2013). Determinants of hopelessness and depression among Chinese hospitalized esophageal cancer patients and their family caregivers. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 2529–2536.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hodges, L.J., Humphris, G.M. & Macfarlane, G. (2005). A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between the psychological distress of cancer patients and their carers. Social Science & Medicine, 60, 1–12.Google Scholar
John, O.P. & Srivastata, S. (1999). The Big Five Trait taxonomy: History, measurement, and theoretical perspectives. In Handbook of personality, 2nd ed.Pervin, L.A. & John, O.P. (eds.), pp. 102–138. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Jones, S.L. (1996). The association between objective and subjective caregiver burden. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 10, 77–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, S.W., Kim, J.M., Stewart, R., et al. (2006). Correlates of caregiver burden for Korean elders according to cognitive and functional status. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21, 853–861.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim, S.Y. (2012). Death and bereavement. In Psychosomatic medicine. Korean Psychosomatic Society (ed), pp. 586–623. Seoul: Jipmoondang.Google Scholar
Kim, S.Y., Kim, J.M., Yoo, J.A., et al. (2010). Standardization and validation of the Big Five Inventory–Korean Version (BFI–K) in elders. Korean Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 17, 15–25.Google Scholar
Kim, Y., Duberstein, P.R., Sorensen, S., et al. (2005). Levels of depressive symptoms in spouses of people with lung cancer: Effects of personality, social support, and caregiving burden. Psychosomatics, 46, 123–130.Google Scholar
Korean Central Cancer Registry (2012). Annual report of cancer statistics in Korea in 2010. Available at http://stat.mw.go.kr/front/statData/publicationView.jsp?menuId=47&nttSeq=20640&bbsSeq=13&nttClsCd=. Last accessed September 20, 2014.Google Scholar
Kristjanson, L.J. & Aoun, S. (2004). Palliative care for families: Remembering the hidden patients. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 49, 359–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kuenzler, A., Hodgkinson, K., Zindel, A., et al. (2011). Who cares, who bears, who benefits? Female spouses vicariously carry the burden after cancer diagnosis. Psychology & Health, 26, 337–352.Google Scholar
Kwon, Y.C., Yun, Y.H., Lee, K.H., et al. (2006). Symptoms in the lives of terminal cancer patients: Which is the most important? Oncology, 71, 69–76.Google Scholar
Montgomery, S.A. & Åsberg, M. (1979). A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 382–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nordtug, B., Krokstad, S. & Holen, A. (2011). Personality features, caring burden and mental health of cohabitants of partners with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or dementia. Aging & Mental Health, 15, 318–326.Google Scholar
OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) (2013). Health at a glance 2013: OECD indicators. Paris: OECD Publishing. Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/health_glance-2013-en. Last accessed on September 20, 2014.Google Scholar
Oken, M.M., Creech, R.H., Tormey, D.C., et al. (1982). Toxicity and response criteria of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. American Journal of Clinical Oncology, 5, 649–655.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Park, C.H., Shin, D.W., Choi, J.Y., et al. (2012). Determinants of the burden and positivity of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients in Korea. Psycho-Oncology, 21, 282–290.Google Scholar
Rammstedt, B. & John, O.P. (2007). Measuring personality in one minute or less: A 10-item short version of the Big Five Inventory in English and German. Journal of Research in Personality, 41, 203–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sessler, C.N., Gosnell, M.S., Grap, M.J., et al. (2002). The Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale: Validity and reliability in adult intensive care unit patients. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 166, 1338–1344.Google Scholar
Teixeira, R.J. & Pereira, M.G. (2013). Psychological morbidity, burden, and the mediating effect of social support in adult children caregivers of oncological patients undergoing chemotherapy. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 1587–1593.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vázquez-Sánchez, M.Á., Aguilar-Trujillo, M.P., Estébanez-Carvajal, F.M., et al. (2012). The influence of dysfunctional thoughts on the burden of the dependent person caregiver. Enfermería Clínica, 22, 11–17.Google Scholar
Wang, L.C., Chen, W.Y., Chang, S.C., et al. (2011). Caregiving burden and associated factors among caregivers of terminally ill gastrointestinal cancer patients. Hu Li Za Zhi, 58, 54–64.Google Scholar
Williams, A.L. & McCorkle, R. (2011). Cancer family caregivers during the palliative, hospice, and bereavement phases: A review of the descriptive psychosocial literature. Palliative & Supportive Care, 9, 315–325.Google Scholar
Yoon, S.J., Kim, J.S., Jung, J.G., et al. (2014). Modifiable factors associated with caregiver burden among family caregivers of terminally ill Korean cancer patients. Supportive Care in Cancer, 22, 1243–1250.Google Scholar