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Caregiver Preparedness and Bereavement Outcomes

1. The study investigated long term bereavement outcomes in family caregivers of cancer patients and whether self-reported preparedness for the patient's death predicts these outcomes. 2. Data was collected through surveys of caregivers spaced 2-8 years after the patient's diagnosis. Measurements included pre-bereavement distress, spirituality, stress, satisfaction with end-of-life care, and preparedness for death. Post-bereavement outcomes measured included prolonged grief, intense grief reactions, and depressive symptoms. 3. Results showed higher pre-bereavement distress predicted worse bereavement outcomes, while higher spirituality and feeling prepared for death predicted better outcomes. Preparedness was significant even after

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Maria Camila Vangh-egas J
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10 views2 pages

Caregiver Preparedness and Bereavement Outcomes

1. The study investigated long term bereavement outcomes in family caregivers of cancer patients and whether self-reported preparedness for the patient's death predicts these outcomes. 2. Data was collected through surveys of caregivers spaced 2-8 years after the patient's diagnosis. Measurements included pre-bereavement distress, spirituality, stress, satisfaction with end-of-life care, and preparedness for death. Post-bereavement outcomes measured included prolonged grief, intense grief reactions, and depressive symptoms. 3. Results showed higher pre-bereavement distress predicted worse bereavement outcomes, while higher spirituality and feeling prepared for death predicted better outcomes. Preparedness was significant even after

Uploaded by

Maria Camila Vangh-egas J
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Analyze the following:

Role of family caregivers’ self-perceived preparedness for the death of the cancer
patient in long-term adjustment to bereavement (textbook reference pages 665–671).
Kim, Carver, Spiegel, Mitchell, and Cannady (2017) set out to document long term
bereavement outcomes and investigate whether self-reported preparedness for the
patient’s death predicts these outcomes in caregivers.
Cancer patients were identified using multiple state cancer registries which listed them
as having been diagnosed with one of ten common cancers. Data was taken from The
National Quality of Life Survey for Caregivers which was collected through multiple
surveys spaced out between 2 and 8 years post-diagnosis. Measurements included the
following:
 30-item Profile of Mood States- Short Form: Measured individual differences
in pre-bereavement distress. High scores indicated higher levels of
psychological distress.
 
 12-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-
Being: Used to measure levels of spirituality. Lower scores indicated lower
levels of spirituality.
 4-item stress overload subscale of the Pearlin Stress Scale: Used to measure
the extent to which caregivers were overwhelmed by the demands and
responsibilities placed on them. High scores reflect greater stress from these
demands and responsibilities.
 18-item FAMCAR: Measured how satisfied caregivers were with the care
provided by healthcare professionals at the end of life. Higher scores
indicated greater satisfaction.
 Caregiver’s self-report of preparedness for patient’s death: responses to
questions such as “I was prepared for his/her death” and “My family was
prepared for his/her death”, using a 5-point scale (1= strongly disagree,
5=strongly agree). Higher scores indicated greater levels of preparedness.
 19-item Inventory of Complicated Grief (ICG): Used to measure prolonged
grief symptoms. Higher scores indicate higher levels of prolonged grief.
 13-item Present Emotion of Grief subscale of the Texas Revised Inventory of
Grief (TRIG): Measured the extent to which caregivers reported intense
emotional reactions to the death of the patient. Higher scores indicate higher
levels of intense grief which usually decreases with the passage of time.
 20- item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D):
Measured overall level of depressive symptoms with higher scores indicating
higher levels of depressive symptoms.
 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale: Measured the extent to which caregivers
felt satisfied with their life in the previous four weeks with higher scores
indicating greater satisfaction.
 
Results for this study indicate that higher levels of pre-bereavement distress predict
greater levels of prolonged grief symptoms, intense emotional reaction to the loss, and
depressive symptoms at 3 and 5 years. However, higher levels of pre-bereavement
spirituality predicted better bereavement outcomes at 3 years, satisfaction with
palliative care was associated with adjustment to loss, and those who indicated that
they were prepared for the death of their loved one experienced less severe
bereavement symptoms. These associations were significant even after taking into
account other caregiver characteristics.
Kim, Y., Carver, C. S., Spiegel, D., Mitchell, H., & Cannady, R. S. (2017). Role of family
caregivers' self-perceived preparedness for the death of the cancer patient in long-term
adjustment to bereavement. Psycho-Oncology, 26(4), 484–492. doi:10.1002/pon.4042
What do you think?
 Review the text discussion of personal and situational variations in
coping with the death of a loved one. In addition to those factors
mentioned in the above research, what other factors affect the
grieving process?
 What are some characteristics of individuals who adjust favorably
to death? How about characteristics of those who adjust poorly?

Jot down your initial thoughts as you prepare to talk with someone else about
this research and think of a few pertinent questions to explore together.
Keep notes about what you learn in your conversation. If your discussion
causes you to change your initial opinions, great! That might be something
to note when you share what you've learned with your classmates.

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