Coping Skills Nursing Program: Its Effect on Anxiety, Caregiving Burden, and Coping Patterns among Family Caregivers of Patients at the End-Stage of Cancer Disease

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer of Psychiatric /Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing - Ain Shams University

2 Assistant professor of Psychiatric /Mental Health Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Ain Shams University

Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of patients receiving advanced cancer care or palliative care have
been shown to have high levels of anxiety, depression, stress, and burden, and interventions to
improve coping skills of caregivers have been shown to be effective in various diseases. Aim: This
study aimed to assess the effect of coping skills nursing program on anxiety, burden, and coping
patterns among family caregivers of patients at the end-stage of cancer disease. Research design: a
quasi-experimental study design on one group pre/post assessment was utilized on (40) family
caregivers at outpatient clinics of Oncology and Nuclear Therapy Department, El-Demerdash
Hospital, Ain Shams University. Tools of data collection: The data was collected using an
interview questionnaire sheets that included four parts as following: 1) A structured interview
schedule to assess demographic Characteristics of family caregivers, 2) The COPE Inventory, 3)
Caregiver Burden Inventory (Zarit), 4) Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Results: : The current study
revealed that: there were highly statistically significant differences between problem-focused coping
domains, emotion-focused coping domains, caregiving burden, and anxiety pre- and post- coping
skills nursing program implementation; also, there were moderate negative correlations between
caregiving burdens and problem focused coping and emotion focused coping post- program
implementation; a high negative correlation between emotion focused coping and anxiety post
program implementation; a moderate negative correlation between problem focused coping and
anxiety post program implementation; and a high positive correlation between caregiving burden
and anxiety post- coping skills nursing program implementation among the studied family
caregivers. Conclusion: The study concluded that, coping skills nursing intervention program had
positive effect on enhancing coping patterns, and reducing psychological burdens and anxiety
among family caregivers of patients receiving palliative care. Recommendation: Design
intervention strategies to enhance the coping and other psychosocial issues of caregivers of patients
living with advanced cancer. Psychosocial supportive interventions should be provided throughout
the caregiving process as possible. 

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