Asian Nursing Research
Volume 3, Issue 4 , Pages 154-166, December 2009

Influences of Psychological Well-being, Quality of Caregiver-patient Relationship, and Family Support on the Health of Family Caregivers for Cancer Patients in Taiwan

  • Pi-Ming Yeh, PhD, RN

      Affiliations

    • Department of Nursing, Missouri Western State University, Missouri, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Pi-Ming Yeh, PhD, Department of Nursing, Missouri Western State University, 3201 North 34th Terrace, St. Joseph, MO 64506, USA
    • ,
  • Mary E. Wierenga, PhD, RN

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
    • ,
  • Su-Chuan Yuan, MSc

      Affiliations

    • College of Nursing, Chung-Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan

Received 13 August 2009; received in revised form 24 August 2009; accepted 16 November 2009.

Article Outline

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the influences of psychological well-being, quality of caregiver-patient relationship, and family support on the health of family caregivers for cancer patients in a Taiwanese hospital.

Methods

A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. A sample of 91 family caregivers of hospitalized cancer patients completed the Caregiver Reaction Assessment and Psychological Well-Being Scale. Pearson's product moment correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the data.

Results

The psychological well-being and the quality of the caregiver-patient relationship of family caregivers were found to be significantly positively correlated with caregivers' health. The lack of family support was found to be significantly negatively correlated with caregivers' health. Psychological well-being, quality of caregiver-patient relationship, and family support accounted for 59% of the variance in caregivers' health.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that nurses, while providing care in the hospital and upon discharge need to be aware of the psychological well-being, quality of caregiver-patient relationship, and family support of a family caregiver, as these factors all have an impact on a family caregiver' health.

Key Words:  family caregiver , health status , interpersonal relations , mental health , social support

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. American Cancer Society  . Estimated new cancer cases for selected cancer sites by state, US, 2007–Old method . Retrieved September 24, 2008, from http://www.cancer.org/downloads/STT/EstimatedNewCancerCasesByState2007OldMethod.pdf 2007;
  2. Borenstein M , Rothstein H , Cohen J , Schoenfeld D , Berlin J . SamplePower (release 2.0) [Computer Software] . Chicago, IL: SPSS Inc.; 2000;
  3. Caress A , Luker KA , Chalmer KI , Salmon MP . A review of the information and support needs of family carers of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease . Journal of Clinical Nursing . 2009;18:479–491
  4. Celano M , Bakeman R , Gaytan O , Smith CO , Koci A , Henderson S . Caregiver depressive symptoms and observed family interaction in low-income children with persistent asthma . Family Process . 2008;47:7–20
  5. Chen F , Short SE . Household context and subjective well-being among the oldest old in China . Journal of Family Issues . 2008;29:1379–1403
  6. Coeling HV , Biordi DL , Theis SL . Negotiating dyadic identity between caregivers and care receivers . Journal of Nursing Scholarship . 2003;35:21–25
  7. Corbeil RR , Quayhagen MP , Quayhagen M . Intervention effects on dementia caregiving interaction: A stress-adaptation modeling approach . Journal of Aging and Health . 1999;11:79–95
  8. Department of Health in Taiwan  . Statistics data for cause of death . Retrieved October 7, 2008, from http://www.doh.gov.tw/CHT2006/DM/DM2_2.aspx?now_fod_list_no=10124&class_no=440&level_no=4 2008;
  9. Department of Statistics  . National indicators of interior statistics in Taiwan . Retrieved May 22, 2009, from http://www.moi.gov.tw/stat/news_content.aspx?sn=2024 2009;
  10. Dimitropoulos G , Carter J , Schachter R , Woodside DB . Predictors of family functioning in carers of individuals with anorexia nervosa . International Journal of Eating Disorders . 2008;41:739–747
  11. Drentea P , Goldner MA . Caregiving outside of the home: the effects of race on depression . Ethnicity & Health . 2006;11:41–57
  12. Eldred C , Sykes C . Psychosocial interventions for carers of survivors of stroke: A systematic review of interventions based on psychological principles and theoretical frameworks . British Journal of Health Psychology . 2008;13:563–581
  13. Given CW , Given B , Stommel M , Collins C , King S , Franklin S . The caregiver reactions assessment (CRA) for caregivers to persons with chronic physical and mental impairments . Research in Nursing & Health . 1992;15:271–283
  14. Kao H-FS , Acton G . Conceptulization and psychometric properties of the Caregiver Burden Scale in Taiwan . Issues in Mental Health Nursing . 2006;27:853–866
  15. Kazanowski M . Family caregivers' medication management of symptoms in patients with cancer . Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing . 2005;7:174–181
  16. Kim K-S , Kwon S-H . Comfort and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients . Asian Nursing Research . 2007;1:125–135
  17. Lee M . Caregiver stress and elder abuse among Korean family caregivers of older adults with disabilities . Journal of Family Violence . 2008;23:707–712
  18. Miaskowski C , Cooper BA , Paul SM , Dodd M , Lee K , West C , et al.   Subgroups of patients with cancer with different symptom experiences and quality-of-life outcomes: A cluster analysis . Oncology Nursing Forum . 2006;33(5):E79–E89
  19. National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP  . Caregiving in the U.S. . Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://www.caregiving.org/data/04finalreport.pdf 2004;
  20. Nijboer C , Triemstra M , Tempelaar R , Mulder M , Sanderman R , van den Bos GAM . Patterns of caregiver experiences among patterns of cancer patients . The Gerontologist . 2000;40:738–746
  21. Ron P . Offspring caring for their elderly parents: The effect of social support and gender-role orientation on these caregivers' well-being . Illness, Crisis & Loss . 2008;16:183–201
  22. Ryff CD . Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being . Journal of Personality and Social Psychology . 1989;57:1069–1081
  23. Savundranayagam MY , Hummert ML , Montgomery RJV . Investigating the effects of communication problems on caregiver burden . Journals of Gerontology. Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences . 2005;60(1):S48–S55
  24. Schumacher KL , Stewart BJ , Archbold PG , Caparro M , Mutale F , Agrawal S . Effects of care-giving demand, mutuality, and preparedness on family caregiver outcomes during cancer treatment . Oncology Nursing Forum . 2008;35:49–56
  25. Sheu S. J. (1997). Filial piety (Hsiao) and filial caregiving experiences of Chinese families in the San Francisco Bay Area. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, San Francisco.
  26. Shyu Y-IL . A conceptual framework for understanding the process of family caregiving to frail elders in Taiwan . Research in Nursing & Health . 2002;25:111–121
  27. Silverberg E . Introducing the 3-A grief intervention model for dementia caregivers: acknowledge, assess and assist . Omega: Journal of Death & Dying . 2007;54:215–235
  28. Tang ST . Supporting cancer patients dying at home or at a hospital for Taiwanese family caregivers . Cancer Nursing . 2009;32:151–157
  29. Tang ST , Li CY . The important role of sense of coherence in relation to depressive symptoms for Taiwanese family caregivers of cancer patients at the end of life . Journal of Psychosomatic Research . 2008;64:195–203
  30. Tremont G , Davis JD , Bishop DS , Fortinsky RH . Telephone-delivered psychosocial intervention reduces burden in dementia caregivers . Dementia . 2008;7:503–520
  31. Weng HQ , Ma JN , Zhang LC , Zheng YX . The exploration of primary caregiver burden of spinal injury patients at home: Qualitative interviews and observation records of 15 pairs of caregivers and patients . Long Term Care . 2002;5(2):77–89
  32. Yates ME , Tennstedt S , Chang BH . Contributors to and mediators of psychological well-being for informal caregivers . Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences . 1999;54:12–22
  33. Yeh PM , Bull M . Influences of spiritual well-being and coping on family caregiver mental health . Research in Gerontological Nursing . 2009;2:173–181

PII: S1976-1317(09)60027-X

doi:10.1016/S1976-1317(09)60027-X

Asian Nursing Research
Volume 3, Issue 4 , Pages 154-166, December 2009

Article Tools