Burden on Informal Primary Caregivers of Children with Cancer: Effects of a Cognitive- Behavioral Intervention

Abstract

There is a scarcity of studies aimed to study the emotional burden of people who care for children withcancer and even fewer report the use effective strategies. Given the fact that the emotional state of PrimaryInformal Caregiver (PIC) not only impacts their own quality of life, but also influences adherence andpatient welfare, direct efforts are required to effectively reduce the burden on caregivers. In this direction,the objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a cognitive behavioral intervention to reduce theburden of caring for children with cancer, through the improvement of depressive and anxious symptoms oftheir PIC. Participants consisted of a non-random group of twenty primary caregiving women.Measurement: participants answered the Zarit´s caregiver burden scale and the anxiety and depressionBeck´s inventories before, after and at one month follow up after treatment. The intervention was individual,manualized and lasted five daily sessions conducted in a hospital in Mexico City. Results-Conclusion. Theintervention showed a large effect size reducing the depression symptoms at follow up but anxiety reached amiddle size effect.