Oliveira Carolina, Lisboa Isabel C, Sotero Luciana, Relvas Ana Paula
Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra, Chicago Center for Family Health, Chicago, USA.
NOVA School of Science and Technology, UNINOVA- CTS and LASI, NOVA University Lisbon, Portuguese Republic.
Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2025 Feb;74:102789. doi: 10.1016/j.ejon.2025.102789. Epub 2025 Jan 18.
Long-term caregiving tasks can be exhausting for family caregivers, resulting in high psychological morbidity. The study aims to explore the experiences, challenges, and strengths of family caregivers providing care for cancer patients in palliative care, in-patient or at home.
Nine caregivers were included, predominantly women aged 34 to 70, from various regions of Portugal. They participated in four focus groups between May 2021 and May 2022, held online due to COVID-19 restrictions. A qualitative research methodology was employed, using semi-structured interviews conducted through focus groups. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key themes in caregivers' experiences.
The study revealed several challenges, categorized into three main themes, listed in order of frequency: (lack of) communication, pain and suffering, and caregiver burden. Death emerged as a meta-category. Despite these difficulties, caregivers identified sources of strength and support that helped them cope during this time.
The findings underscore the profound impact of caregiving on family members and highlight the need for enriched support systems and interventions to reduce caregiver burden and suffering, boosting their resources. Despite its limitations, the study's diverse and rich content illustrate the value of group settings in fostering belonging and comfort among caregivers.
长期护理任务可能会让家庭护理人员疲惫不堪，导致心理发病率居高不下。本研究旨在探索为姑息治疗、住院或在家中的癌症患者提供护理的家庭护理人员的经历、挑战和优势。
纳入了9名护理人员，主要是年龄在34至70岁之间的女性，来自葡萄牙不同地区。由于新冠疫情限制，她们于2021年5月至2022年5月期间参加了4次在线焦点小组讨论。采用定性研究方法，通过焦点小组进行半结构化访谈。使用主题分析法对数据进行分析，以确定护理人员经历中的关键主题。
该研究揭示了几个挑战，分为三个主要主题，按出现频率排序：（缺乏）沟通、疼痛与痛苦、护理人员负担。死亡成为一个元类别。尽管存在这些困难，护理人员确定了在这段时间帮助他们应对的力量和支持来源。
研究结果强调了护理对家庭成员的深远影响，并突出了需要丰富支持系统和干预措施，以减轻护理人员的负担和痛苦，增强他们的资源。尽管存在局限性，但该研究多样而丰富的内容说明了小组环境在促进护理人员归属感和舒适度方面的价值。
