No abstract

The role of spirituality on the psychological health was mostly investigated through studies conducted in terminally ill patients. However, there are not studies investigating the role of religious and spiritual beliefs on psychological state and on burden dimensions in caregivers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between spirituality, burden, and psychological state in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. Two hundred caregivers of terminally ill patients with cancer were interviewed using Prolonged Grief Disorder 12 (PG-12), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) and System of Belief Inventory (SBI-15R). The caregiver burden was positively correlated with anxiety, depression and PG-12 scores. The intrinsic spirituality was a significant predictor of the time-dependence burden (positively associated); and of the emotional burden (negatively associated). In caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients, higher levels of intrinsic spirituality predicted a higher amount of time devote to caregiving, and also protected against the emotional distress linked to providing assistance.

No abstract

In terminally ill patients with cancer, the levels of depression and anxiety were lower in patients aware of their own illness state. Moreover, higher levels of extrinsic and lower levels of intrinsic spirituality predicted the awareness of one's own illness state.

No abstract

Female gender, high levels of depression, and preoccupation with relationships significantly predicted higher levels of prolonged grief risk.

The aim of the study was to test whether high levels of caregiver burden, as other confirmed predictors, are associated with the risk of prolonged grief disorder in caregivers of terminally ill patients. A predictive study was carried out in order to test the hypothesis. A demographic schedule, the Prolonged Grief 12 (PG-12), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Caregiver Burden Inventory were administered to 60 caregivers of 51 patients who were admitted in Hospice. In the regression analysis, difficulty in recognizing emotions, total burden, depression, and developmental burden dimension were significant predictors of PG-12 levels. Findings showed that feeling of deprivation of existential expectations represents the greater risk factor for the prolonged grief disorder, among the burden dimensions.

No abstract