Anxiety in caregivers of palliative care patients

Authors

  • Worasiri Leongnarktongdee Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
  • Puchong Laurujisawat Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Keywords:

Anxiety, family caregivers, palliative

Abstract

Background: Palliative care service undoubtedly aims at quality of life of both the patients and their family members. Caring for the ill can bring about mental burden to the caregivers; but this is understudied in Thai literature.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the anxiety state and associated factors in caregivers of palliative patients, particularly in urban setting as Bangkok.

Methods: We recruited 93 caregivers of inpatients consulted to the Palliative Care Unit of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The instruments used include Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) - Thai version and The State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form). Multiple linear Regression Analysis was used to examine the associated factors of anxiety among family caregivers.

Results: Multiple regression analysis found that caregiver’s age (P = 0.04), caregiver’s relationship to the patient (P = 0.01), and caregiver’s STAI trait score (P = 0.1 ) had significant association with the caregiver’s STAI state score, with effect size (f2) of 0.04 (small), 0.03 (small), and 0.21 (medium), respectively. In subgroup analysis of relative – only family caregiver, multivariate analysis found the following factors caregiver’s age (P = 0.02), caregiver’s STAI trait score (P = 0.0), patient’s gender (P = 0.046) reached significant association with the caregiver’s STAI state score.

Conclusion: Certain demographic factors (caregiver’s age, degree of relation, and trait anxiety) associated with caregiver’s anxiety. However, ESAS, the rating for perceived symptom severity, did not show significant association.

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Published

2023-07-19

How to Cite

1.
Leongnarktongdee W, Laurujisawat P. Anxiety in caregivers of palliative care patients. Chula Med J [Internet]. 2023 Jul. 19 [cited 2024 Oct. 8];65(3). Available from: https://he05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/CMJ/article/view/147