Patient-Caregiver Relationship and Psychological Distress among the Caregivers of Cancer Patients

Abstract

Despite efforts to strengthen long-term hospital-based care, informal caregivers continue to provide substantial support to individuals diagnosed with cancer. The emotional and psychological health of these caregivers is heavily influenced by their relationship to the cancer patient. A limited amount of research exists on how the specific nature of the patient–caregiver relationship (e.g., parent–child, sibling, spousal) affects psychological well being of the caregiver caring for a cancer patient. This study aims to explore the relationship between caregiving roles and psychological distress among caregivers of cancer patients in India. The cross-sectional study involved 80 caregivers who consented to participate in the study from various hospitals in New Delhi, India using purposive sampling. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews. Psychological distress was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), a widely validated tool for assessing psychological well-being. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize demographic and caregiving role information. Regression analyses were conducted to explore the extent to which the type of caregiver relationship predicted psychological  distress outcomes. The findings indicated that caregivers who were parents of a child suffering from cancer and spouse (wife) caring for her husband suffering from cancer experienced higher levels of psychological distress, including significant worry and uncertainty in comparison to caregivers attending to their parents or siblings with cancer. Regression analysis also showed that the caregiver role significantly predicted psychological distress scores (p < 0.05), with parental caregivers caring for their children suffering from cancer showing the greatest vulnerability