Emotional Distress and Burden Among Caregivers of Children With Oncological/Hematological Disorders

摘要

Introduction: Caring for children with oncological and hematological disorders may lead to caregiver emotional distress and caregiver burden; however, little work has examined the relationship between children's symptoms and caregiver's distress and burden. Method: This study used self-report survey data from caregivers (N = 96) and a cross-sectional design to examine correlates of caregiver emotional distress and burden. Data collected included caregiver and child demographic data, child symptoms (i.e., sleep problems, pain, and emotional/behavioral problems), caregiver emotional distress, and caregiver burden. Results: Multiple linear regression found that parent reported financial difficulty (beta = 0.29, t = 3.13, p = .003), greater child sleep problems (beta = 0.29 t = 2.81, p = .007), greater child pain (beta = 0.33 t = 3.48, p = .001), and greater child emotional/behavioral problems (beta = 0.27, t = 2.71, p = .009) were all related to higher levels of caregiver emotional distress. Only financial difficulties (beta = -0.35, t = -2.03, p = .04) and child pain (beta = -0.30, t = -2.33, p = .02) were related to caregiver burden. Discussion: Child symptoms may play an important role in the development of caregiver distress and caregiver burden; future research should utilize longitudinal designs to examine temporal and casual relationships.