GRIEF AMONG CANCER PATIENTS: PREDICTOR OF BURDEN OF CARE AND MENTAL HEALTH AMONG THEIR CAREGIVERS

Abstract

This study was aimed to investigate grief among cancer patients as the predictor of burden of care and mental health among their care givers. It was hypothesized that the grief among the cancer patients will positively predict the caregiver’s burden and poor mental health among caregivers of these cancer patients. It was further hypothesized that there would be significant gender differences and significant correlations among the caregiver burden and mental health among caregivers and grief among cancer patients. Data was collected from primary caregivers of the cancer patients from different hospitals (n= 250). The Caregiver Strain Index (CSI), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and Grief Scale were used as psychometric tools. Correlational research design was implied. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used. Data analysis was done by using SPSS 21. Pearson product moment correlation was applied to measure the nature of relationship among study variables. Significant positive correlations among caregiver burden, mental health of caregivers and grief among the cancer patients indicated that grief among cancer patients leads to poor mental health and excessive burden of care among the care givers. Independent sample t-test revealed that although there is no significant gender difference on caregiving strain index but female caregivers had comparatively higher mental health problems than male caregivers. Regression analysis revealed grief in cancer patients and poor mental health of caregivers as predictors of burden of care. The importance of this study lies in the fact that the findings will be highly valuable in gaining insight into the psychological problems experienced by the family caregivers in Pakistan to device better strategies to eradicate their effects on their mental health.