Resilience and its association with caregiving and psychosocial factors among lung cancer caregivers in Vietnam

Abstract

Purpose: Lung cancer is the second-most widely diagnosed cancer and is also the second leading contributor cancer mortality in Vietnam. With limited formal caregiving systems, family caregivers are essential in providing care for lung cancer patients. This study examined resilience and its association with various psychosocial and caregiving factors in lung cancer caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey with 213 adult family caregivers was conducted at a provincial-level hospital between June 2023 and August 2024. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was administered to measure resilience, wherein higher scores denoted greater resilience. Multivariable linear regression examined associations between psychosocial and caregiving factors with resilience. Results: The caregivers had a mean age of 50.4 years and primarily consisted of women (68.1%) and farmers (48.8%). Overall, the mean resilience score was 25.1 out of 40, with 50.2% reporting low resilience. Positive associations with better resilience included better caregiving preparation (β = 2.82, 95 %CI: 1.63, 4.00), enhanced family social support (β = 1.40, 95 %CI: 0.28, 2.51) and better quality of life (β = 0.15, 95 %CI: 0.07, 0.22). Interestingly, caregivers with mild-to-moderate (β = 3.11, 95 %CI: 1.24, 4.98) and high (β = 4.12, 95 %CI: 1.14, 7.11) caregiving burden reported higher resilience scores compared to those with no-to-mild burden. Higher depression symptom severity (β = −0.32, 95 %CI: −0.57, −0.06) and longer hospital stays (β = −0.03, 95 %CI: −0.06, −0.003) were negatively associated with resilience. Conclusions: Our study revealed the significant prevalence of low resilience among family caregivers. Resilience-focused initiatives should prioritize mental health screening and treatment, emphasize strengthening support networks, and provide adequate caregiving training, particularly in caregivers of patients experiencing prolonged hospitalization.