Burnout, Caregiver Burden, Family Caregivers, Palliative Care
Conditions
Keywords
Palliative Care, caregiver, psychoeducation, coping with stress
Brief summary
This quasi-experimental study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a six-week, nurse-led structured coping psychoeducation program for family caregivers of patients receiving palliative care. The study will examine the effects of the intervention on caregiver burden, coping strategies, and burnout using pre- and post-intervention assessments.
Detailed description
Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led coping psychoeducation program on caregiver burden, coping strategies, and burnout among family caregivers of patients receiving palliative care. Study Design: This study uses a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with an intervention group and a control group. Intervention: Participants assigned to the intervention group (n = 20) will receive a six-week, nurse-led psychoeducation program consisting of 12 structured sessions designed to improve stress management and coping skills. Participants in the control group will receive routine care during the study period. Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes include caregiver burden, coping strategies, and burnout. Data will be collected before and after the intervention using the Caregiver Information Form, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and the Stress Coping Styles Scale (SCSS). Statistical Analysis: Data will be analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0 and Python 3. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participant characteristics. Between-group and within-group comparisons will be conducted using appropriate parametric or nonparametric statistical tests. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will be used to adjust for baseline differences, and generalized estimating equations (GEE) will be applied to evaluate changes over time. Statistical significance will be determined at a two-sided p value of \<0.05.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALcoping psychoeducation program
A nurse-led structured coping psychoeducation program was delivered to family caregivers of palliative care patients over 6 weeks. The intervention consisted of 12 sessions, including an introductory meeting and weekly psychoeducation sessions focusing on palliative care, the caregiving role, stress and burnout, coping strategies, emotional regulation, relaxation techniques, self-care, communication, social support, problem-solving, resilience, and program evaluation. Sessions lasted approximately 40-60 minutes and were conducted in small groups using lectures, discussions, role-playing, case-based learning, practical exercises, and feedback. All participants in the intervention group also continued to receive routine palliative care services.
OTHERRoutine Care
Family caregivers received the routine care and education provided by the palliative care unit. No structured coping psychoeducation program was delivered during the study period.
Sponsors
Kastamonu University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
SINGLE (Caregiver)
Masking description
No masking was used because the behavioral psychoeducation intervention did not permit blinding of participants or the intervention provider.
Intervention model description
This study is a quasi-experimental, pretest-posttest controlled study. Family caregivers of patients hospitalized in two separate palliative care units at Kastamonu Training and Research Hospital were allocated according to the unit of hospitalization. Caregivers of patients in Palliative Care Unit 1 received the nurse-led coping psychoeducation program (intervention group), while caregivers of patients in Palliative Care Unit 2 received routine care (control group). Outcomes were assessed before the intervention and after completion of the psychoeducation program.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Family member serving as the primary caregiver of a patient admitted to the palliative care unit. Aged 18 years or older. No diagnosed psychiatric disorder. Willing to participate in the study and provide informed consent. Able to attend the psychoeducation program regularly. Caregivers of patients admitted to Palliative Care Unit 1 were assigned to the experimental group. Caregivers of patients admitted to Palliative Care Unit 2 were assigned to the control group.
Exclusion criteria
* Previous participation in any psychoeducation or training program related to palliative care caregiving. Inability to complete the psychoeducation program or post-intervention assessments.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Caregiving burden will be assessed using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). The ZBI is a validated self-report instrument that evaluates the perceived burden experienced by family caregivers. Higher scores indicate greater caregiving burden. | At baseline and immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention | Baseline (before the intervention) and immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Coping Strategies | At baseline and immediately after completion of the 6-week intervention | Coping strategies will be assessed using the Stress Coping Styles Scale (SCSS). The scale evaluates adaptive coping (self-confident, optimistic, and social support-seeking approaches) and maladaptive coping (helpless and submissive approaches). Higher scores on adaptive coping and lower scores on maladaptive coping indicate improved coping strategies. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORHavva KAÇAN, associate professor
Kastamonu University
Outcome results
None listed