Guía de práctica clínica para la atención psico-oncológica del cuidador primario informal de pacientes con cáncer

Abstract

The research literature related to anxiety, depression and burden has shown that these components are relevant to understanding the implications of caring for patients with chronic diseases. Few studies establish a clear relationship among these variables for caregivers of children with chronic diseases. The objective of the present study was to determine the relationship between burden, anxiety, depression and care characteristics in a group of non-professional primary caregivers of children with cancer, in a Mexico City public hospital. The nonrandom sample consisted of 93 women and 7 men, who responded to a battery of tests composed of the Zarit Caregiver Burden and Anxiety and the Beck's Anxiety and Depression inventory scales. Results confirmed that married women with only elementary education and devoted to housework act as primary informal caregivers. In most cases, the mothers care for their children for more than nine hours a day leading to high burden percentages, in addition, a Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive association of anxiety with depression. The findings of this study may be useful for designing interventions that promote physical, social and emotional health wellbeing for this population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)