Avaliação psicologica dos cuidadores principais de mulheres com cancer genital ou mamario na fase terminal da doença

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

Introduction: Studies addressing the consequences of caring for terminally-ill cancer patients generally describe that the situations experienced are usually sensed as being negative and stressful. Little is known about the psychological status of the caregiver during the period preceding the patient?s death, but several instruments exist to assess the well-being of the caregiver. In its first phase, the prime objective of this study was to identify an evaluation instrument capable of performing a comprehensive assessment of the informal caregiver, during the terminal phase of the disease. In the second phase, the objective was to assess the prevalence of anxiety and depression in caregivers. And finally to evaluate the association between caregiver?s global comfort being and socio-demographic factors, burdens related to caring, anxiety and depression. Method: A revision of the literature was carried out to select a standardized instrument that has been translated into Portuguese following international translating rules. Then, a cross-sectional study with 133 principal caregivers, which had been identified by the terminally-ill patients with breast or gynecologic cancer, was undertaken between August 2002 and May 2004. Seventy-one women had breast cancer and 62 gynecologic malignancies. Initially, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale has been applied to the caregivers, followed by an interview using the General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ). All instruments were read by the investigators, in order to overcome caregivers? illiteracy and low educational levels. Results: Sixty ?seven abstracts were encountered and 34 selected. The General Comfort Questionnaire (GCQ) was considered the best instrument. In the second study, 99 (74.4%) caregivers presented with anxiety and 71 (53.4%) presented with depression, and concomitance of both symptons was statistically significant (OR 5.6; 95% CI 2.2 a 15.9). Male caregivers and the patient?s spouses were less likely to present with anxiety or depression. In the third study, analysis with the GCQ disclosed that being male and not having anxiety or depression were the caregivers? features related to higher levels of general comfort. Conclusion: The selected instrument to evaluate comprehensively the caregivers of patients in the terminal phase of cancer was the GCQ. Anxiety and depression were frequent in the studied population and were detected concomitantly in the majority of patients. Being male or the patients? spouse were characteristics associated with less anxiety and depression. GCQ identified other positive and negative factors associated with caring. Male caregivers and those not diagnosed with anxiety or depression had better general comfort

ASSUNTO(S)

doentes terminais - cuidados psicologia oncologia

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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