Caregiver burden among primary caregivers of patients undergoing peripheral blood stem cell transplantation: a cross sectional study

Psychoneuroimmunology in multiple myeloma and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant: Opportunities for research among patients and caregivers

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer and is the leading indication for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To be eligible for HSCT, a patient must have a caregiver, as caregivers play a central role in HSCT preparation and recovery. MM patients remain on treatment indefinitely, and thus patients and their caregivers face long-term challenges including the intensity of HSCT and perpetual therapy after transplant. Importantly, both patients and their caregivers show heightened depressive and anxiety symptoms, with dyadic correspondence evidenced and caregivers' distress often exceeding that of patients. An extensive psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) literature links distress with health via immune and neuroendocrine dysregulation as well as biological aging. However, data on PNI in the context of multiple myeloma - in patients or caregivers - are remarkably limited. Distress in MM patients has been associated with poorer outcomes including higher inflammation, greater one year post-HSCT hospital readmissions, and worse overall survival. Further, anxiety and depression are linked to biological aging and may contribute to the poor long-term health of both patients and caregivers. Because MM generally affects older adults, individual differences in biological aging may represent an important modifier of MM biology and HSCT treatment outcomes. There are a number of clinical scenarios in which biologically younger people could be prescribed more intensive therapies, with potential for greater benefit, by using a personalized cancer therapy approach based on the quantification of physiologic reserve. Further, despite considerable psychological demands, the effects of distress on health among MM caregivers is largely unexamined. Within this context, the current critical review highlights gaps in knowledge at the intersection of HSCT, inflammation, and biological aging in the context of MM. Research in this area hold promise for opportunities for novel and impactful psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) research to enhance health outcomes, quality of life, and longevity among both MM patients and their caregivers.

An Integrative Review of the Support Needs of Informal Caregivers of Hematological Cancer Patients in the Period Immediately Following Discharge From Inpatient to Outpatient Care

BACKGROUND

Preparing informal caregivers for a patient's transition to outpatient care is an important component of safe, quality hematological cancer care. The development of many novel therapies and emerging treatments has created opportunities to address the needs of informal caregivers following the discharge of patients from inpatient settings.

OBJECTIVE

To review and synthesize the literature on the needs of informal caregivers of patients with a hematological malignancy postdischarge from inpatient care.

INTERVENTIONS/METHODS

Integrative review methodology was used to explore the body of evidence available. This included a quality appraisal of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research findings, subsequent data extraction, and inductive thematic synthesis.

RESULTS

One thousand eight articles were screened with 10 included in the review. Key insights into the needs of caregivers entering the outpatient setting were identified and grouped into key subheadings: Encountering complex emotions knowing what to know, little time for yourself, and collateral impact.

CONCLUSION

Findings convey the complex and multiple needs of informal caregivers of hematological cancer patients. With a growing population of people with hematological malignancies and innovations in outpatient cancer therapies, there is a pressing need to codesign interventions to support their caregivers.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

This review has identified a need for more robust research to coproduce interventions in collaboration with caregivers. In addition, interventions developed from further research should be tested in quality implementation science studies to determine their feasibility, sustainability, and impact on outcomes that matter to hematological cancer caregivers.

A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Study: Eliciting ICU Experiences and Measuring Outcomes of Family Caregivers of Patients Who Have Undergone Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

The impact of an intensive care unit (ICU) admission on family caregivers of patients who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has not been well described. Aims of this study were to determine the feasibility of conducting research with family caregivers of HSCT patients during an ICU admission and generate preliminary data about their experiences and engagement in care. Using a mixed-methods, repeated measures design, we collected data from family caregivers after 48 hr in the ICU (T1) and at 48 hr after transferring out of ICU (T2). Enrolling HSCT caregivers in research while in the ICU was feasible (10/13 consented; 9/10 completed data collection at T1); however, data collection at T2 was not possible for most caregivers. Caregiver distress levels were high, and engagement in care was moderate. The three themes that emerged from interviews (n = 5) highlighted that although HSCT family caregivers faced many challenges and received limited support during their ICU experience, they were able to access their own personal resources and demonstrated resilience.

The Effect of Psychoeducation on Care Burden Applied to Mothers of Children Who Underwent Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation in Turkey: A Quasi-Experimental Study

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine at the effect of psychoeducation on the care burden for mothers whose children underwent allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (Allo-BMT).

DATA SOURCES

The single group, quasi-experimental study was conducted in a children's BMT unit in the Aegean Region of Turkey. No sampling method was used, and the study sample consisted of 21 mothers who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of turning 18 years old, volunteering for study participation, speaking and understanding Turkish, and having a child who had undergone Allo-BMT. The psychoeducation covered the following topics: (i) Allo-BMT and Child Care After Transplantation, (ii) Feelings Concerning the Disease and the Role of Caregiver, (iii) Stress and Anger Management, and (iv) Family-Spousal and Social Relations. The care burden was measured using the Clinically Adapted Zarit Burden Interview (CA-ZBI). Data analysis was performed on SPSS 20.0 software using repeated measures of analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni adjusted post hoc test. After the psychoeducation, a significant difference was found between pretest (26.85 ± 12.9) and posttest (20.42 ± 12.66) care burden of mean scores (P < .05). In addition, a significant difference was found between pretest and follow-up test (20.52 ± 11.49) mean scores of care burden (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

The psychoeducation reduced the care burden experienced by the mothers of the children who underwent Allo-BMT and this positive impact lasted for a month.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses, especially consultation liaison psychiatric nurses, can provide similar psychoeducation to caregivers in BMT units, assisting them in protecting their physical and mental health by reducing their care burden.

Biobehavioral Implications of Covid-19 for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Recipients

A growing body of literature has emphasized the importance of biobehavioral processes - defined as the interaction of behavior, psychology, socioenvironmental factors, and biological processes - for clinical outcomes among transplantation and cellular therapy (TCT) patients. TCT recipients are especially vulnerable to distress associated with pandemic conditions and represent a notably immunocompromised group at greater risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection with substantially worse outcomes. The summation of both the immunologic and psychologic vulnerability of TCT patients renders them particularly susceptible to adverse biobehavioral sequelae associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Stress and adverse psychosocial factors alter neural and endocrine pathways through sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis signaling that ultimately affect gene regulation in immune cells. Reciprocally, global inflammation and immune dysregulation related to TCT contribute to dysregulation of neuroendocrine and central nervous system function, resulting in the symptom profile of depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, and cognitive dysfunction. In this article, we draw upon literature on immunology, psychology, neuroscience, hematology and oncology, Covid-19 pathophysiology, and TCT processes to discuss how they may intersect to influence TCT outcomes, with the goal of providing an overview of the significance of biobehavioral factors in understanding the relationship between Covid-19 and TCT, now and for the future. We discuss the roles of depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep, social isolation and loneliness, and neurocognitive impairment, as well as specific implications for sub-populations of interest, including pediatrics, caregivers, and TCT donors. Finally, we address protective psychological processes that may optimize biobehavioral outcomes affected by Covid-19.

Caregiver burden and the perceived social support of the family caregivers of the patients awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BACKGROUND

This study aims to identify the caregiver burden and the level of perceived social support of the family caregivers who provided care to patients awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

METHODS

Designed as a descriptive and cross-sectional study, this research was conducted with 451 caregivers of patients who awaited stem cell transplantation and paid visits for examination to the polyclinic of the Bone Marrow Transplantation Center from 7 June 2021 to 1 September 2021. The research data were collected by using the Patient and Caregiver Information Form, the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The data analysis was conducted by using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation test, and linear regression.

RESULTS

The mean age of the caregivers was 32.51 ± 2.70 years. The perceived social support of the caregivers was at low level (MSPSS: 32.30 ± 25.1) while the caregiver burden was found at high level (ZCBS: 50.1 ± 9.8). Besides, it was discerned that the mean scores obtained by the caregivers from the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and its sub-scales had medium-level statistically significant negative relationships with the mean of their Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale scores (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results show that the caregivers being away from their families and social environment during the care process and that there was nobody to help them increases the burden of caregiving. It is recommended that caregivers should be evaluated by health personnel, and initiatives should be planned to reduce the burden of care and increase social support.

Preparedness for family caregiving prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Objective

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a curative treatment associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is often necessary for family caregivers to become highly involved in the care, especially when patients return home after a long period of inpatient care. Family caregivers’ preparedness for the tasks and demands of the caregiving role prior to allo-HSCT might help them during this distressing time. The aim of this study was to explore whether demographic factors are associated with preparedness for caregiving prior to allo-HSCT and if such preparedness for caregiving is associated with caregiver outcomes in terms of caregiver burden, anxiety/depression, competence, self-efficacy, and general health among family caregivers.

Method

This correlational cross-sectional study included 86 family caregivers of patients to undergo allo-HSCT, who completed a self-administered questionnaire on preparedness, caregiver burden, anxiety/depression, competence, self-efficacy, and general health. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression models (linear and ordinal) were used to analyze the data.

Results

Family caregivers with a higher education and those who were the patient's partner were significantly associated with a higher level of preparedness for caregiving, while gender and age were not significant. Higher preparedness was significantly associated with higher competence and self-efficacy and lower symptoms of depression, even after the model was adjusted for education, relationship to the patient, gender, and age but not for anxiety or caregiver burden. Higher levels of preparedness were also significantly associated with better general health.

Significance of results

A higher level of preparedness for caregiving prior to allo-HSCT was associated with better family caregiver outcomes. Assessing family caregivers prior to allo-HSCT to identify those with insufficient preparedness might enable the provision of individually tailored psycho-educational support to help them cope with their caregiving role and prevent potential negative consequences.

Caregiver burden among informal caregivers in the largest specialized palliative care unit in Malaysia: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Informal caregivers (IC) are often overshadowed by the attention required by the terminally ill. This study aims to reveal the estimated proportion of caregiver burden, psychological manifestations and factors associated with caregiver burden among IC in the largest specialized Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in Malaysia.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving IC attending a PCU. Caregiver burden and psychological manifestations were measured using previously translated and validated Zarit Burden Interview and DASS-21 questionnaires respectively. Two hundred forty-nine samples were selected for analysis.

RESULT

The mean ZBI score was 23.33 ± 13.7. About half of the population 118(47.4%) was found to experienced caregiver burden whereby majority have mild to moderate burden 90(36.1%). The most common psychological manifestation among IC is anxiety 74(29.7%) followed by depression 51(20.4%) and stress 46(18.5%). Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that women who are IC to patients with non-malignancy were less likely to experience caregiver burden. IC who were highly educated and spent more than 14 h per day caregiving were at least twice likely to experience caregiver burden. Finally, those with symptoms of depression and anxiety were three times more likely to suffer from caregiver burden.

CONCLUSION

Caregiver burden among IC to palliative patients is prevalent in this population. IC who are men, educated, caregiving for patients with malignancy, long hours of caregiving and have symptoms of depression and anxiety are at risk of developing caregiver burden. Targeted screening should be implemented and IC well-being should be given more emphasis in local policies.

Family caregivers' support needs during allo-HSCT-a longitudinal study

PURPOSE

The study aimed to explore family caregivers' support needs prior to allo-HSCT, how these change over time and whether they are associated with demographic factors and caregiver outcome.

METHODS

This longitudinal repeated measure study included 87 family caregivers of allo-HSCT recipients: 63% were partners, 74% women, 65% lived with the recipient, and their mean age was 54 years. They completed the 14-item Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool (CSNAT) and caregiver outcome measures (caregiver burden, anxiety, depression, preparedness for caregiving and general health) prior to allo-HSCT and 3, 6 and 16 weeks later.

RESULTS

The two top support needs prior to allo-HSCT were 'knowing what to expect in the future' (79%) and 'dealing with your own feelings' (70%). Several support needs were associated with younger age and not being a partner, while higher needs implied worse caregiver outcomes for at least one of the outcomes prior to transplantation. Most support needs remained the same at the last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

The findings that high support needs are often associated with worse caregiver outcomes and most support needs do not diminish over time indicate that more attention should be placed on the situation of family caregivers.

The relationship between positive aspects of caring, anxiety and depression in the caregivers of cancer patients: The mediational role of burden

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine how the burden of caregivers of patients with an advanced oncological illness mediates the relationship between positive aspects of care, depression and anxiety.

METHODS

Quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. One hundred informal adult caregivers of patients with advanced oncological illness who attended the pain and palliative care unit or the psychological unit at the Instituto de Cancerologia Clinica las Americas (Medellin, Colombia) completed self-report assessments including positive aspects of care (PAC), burden and anxiety/depression measured using the HADS (Hospitalized Anxiety Depression Scale). The partial least squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was selected to validate the hypotheses of the study.

RESULTS

Most of the participants were women (86%), with a mean age of 46.52 years (SD=15.05). Most of the participants reported experiencing both PAC and anxiety. They also scored low for burden. PAC exerted a negative effect on Burden, whereas Burden contributed positively to Anxiety and Depression. The indirect impact of PAC on Anxiety and Depression was significant p < .00.

CONCLUSIONS

Positive aspects of care in advanced cancer caregivers constitutes a protective factor against caregiver's burden, depression and anxiety. Health staff can promote caregivers' adaptation and wellbeing emphasizing these PAC.

Évaluation des symptômes de stress post-traumatique chez les femmes atteintes d’un cancer du sein nouvellement diagnostiqué

Introduction : Le diagnostic du cancer du sein est un événement potentiellement mortel associé à une détresse importante. La présente étude visait à évaluer la prévalence et la sévérité des symptômes de stress post-traumatique ; et à analyser l’association entre les symptômes de stress posttraumatique et la dépression, les données relatives à la maladie cancéreuse et les données sociodémographiques chez ces femmes.

Méthodes : Soixante et une femmes atteintes d’un cancer du sein nouvellement diagnostiqué ont rempli deux questionnaires : l’Impact of Event Scale révisé (IES-R) et la souséchelle DASS–Dépression des échelles de dépression, de stress et d’anxiété (DASS-21). Les femmes ont été interrogées quatre semaines après l’annonce du diagnostic. Les patientes étaient âgées de 18 à 65 ans et avaient un cancer du sein histologiquement confirmé et sans antécédents d’autres cancers.

Résultats : L’âge moyen des patientes incluses dans cette étude était de 46,5 ans. La majorité d’entre elles vivaient en milieux urbains (82 %) et avaient un niveau socioéconomique moyen (83,6 %). Trente-six pour cent des patientes atteintes d’un cancer du sein ont été diagnostiquées à un stade avancé (III et IV) et ont reçu un traitement chirurgical dans 73,8 % des cas. 57,4 % des patientes atteintes d’un cancer du sein nouvellement diagnostiqué présentaient des symptômes de stress post-traumatique supérieurs au seuil (score IER-S > 33) et 18,0 %des symptômes dépressifs (score DASS-dépression > 9). L’absence de revenu (notamment être sans profession ou étudiante) et la dépression étaient les meilleurs prédicteurs des symptômes du trouble de stress post-traumatique dans notre population.

Conclusion : L’observation de la complexité du vécu des patientes atteintes de cancer du sein renforce l’idée de la nécessité d’un accompagnement spécifique. Une évaluation précoce des besoins psychoémotionnels des patientes atteintes de cancer du sein et une intervention précoce pourraient être particulièrement utiles.

Other Side of Breast Cancer: Factors Associated with Caregiver Burden

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine factors associated with caregiver burden among primary caregivers of women with breast cancer in Iran.

METHODS

This was a descriptive correlation study conducted in 2012 on 150 main caregivers of patients with breast cancer who came to the oncology clinic of Shahid Ghazi hospital in Tabriz, Iran. A questionnaire which included caregiving-related factors and the Zarit Burden Interview was used for data collection after its validity and reliability were determined. Data was analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software with descriptive and analytic statistics. The association between significant variables and the dependent variable with an observation of the effects of other variables was assessed using the multiple linear regression model.

RESULTS

The mean age of caregivers was 39.60 ± 13.80 years old, and 77 (51.3%) of them were men. The mean score of the Zarit Burden Interview was 30.55 ± 19.18. In the regression model, the mean score of activities of daily living, level of education, gender, and financial status were identified as the determining factors of the burden of caregivers.

CONCLUSIONS

Primary caregivers need to be financially supported by the relevant organizations. Care skills training and providing palliative care seem helpful in reducing the pain and the burden of family caregivers for patients with breast cancer.

A scoping review of caregiver burden during allogeneic HSCT: lessons learned and future directions

The extant literature documents burden among caregivers of patients undergoing a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but little is known about the burden of caregivers of patients receiving outpatient and homebound HSCTs. This scoping study sought to evaluate what is known about the burden of the increasing number of adult caregivers of patients receiving outpatient HSCTs and to create practice guidelines for how to best support this vulnerable group. Online databases were searched for studies that evaluated caregiver burden in adult caregivers of HSCT patients since 2010 (the publication date of the most recent systematic review on HSCT caregiver burden). Of the 1271 articles retrieved, 12 met the inclusion criteria, though none specifically examined outpatient or homebound caregivers. Overall, studies corroborated existing literature on the experience of significant burden among HSCT caregivers across the HSCT trajectory, and highlighted the emotional costs of outpatient transplants on caregivers and the need to identify caregivers at high risk for burden early in the transplant process. Future studies of outpatient caregivers should include a comprehensive assessment of burden and seek to identify points along the transplant trajectory at which caregivers are at particular risk for negative outcomes and when intervention is most appropriate.