Relationship Between Quality of Life and Self – Efficacy Among the Caregivers of Palliative  Care Patients of Lung and Breast Cancer

Anitha D S; Dr. K. Jayashankar Reddy

Volume : II, Issue : IV, April - 2013

Relationship Between Quality of Life and Self – Efficacy Among the Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients of Lung and Breast Cancer

Anitha D S, Dr. K. Jayashankar Reddy

Abstract :

Pain is one of the most common and dreaded symptoms associated with cancer during palliative care. An individual who assumes the care of the ill relative is expected by society to provide both physical and emotional support to the patient. This responsibility creates a stressful situation for the caregivers, often evoking symptoms of psychological distress. Such distress begins at the time the chronically ill patient gets into palliative care affecting the Quality of Life and Self-Efficacy of caregivers. The present study examines the relationship between Quality of Life and Self-efficacy among the caregivers of lung and east cancer patients. The participants were caregivers (n=30 in each group) of lung and east cancer patients who were in palliative care. The caregivers were with the patient in palliative ward for a minimum period of 30 days. The caregivers completed a measure assessing their Quality of Life and Self-efficacy for helping the patient manage symptoms. Purposive sampling technique was used for the study. T test and Pearson correlation was used to analyze the results. The results revealed that the caregivers of lung cancer patients had poor Quality of Life and low self-efficacy compared to caregivers of east cancer patients. Scores vary negatively with Quality of Life for the caregivers of Lung cancer patients. Though there is a negative relationship between Self-Efficacy and Quality of Life among the caregivers of east cancer patients the relationship is not significant.