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Abstract
Purpose
There is limited available research about the experiences of family caregivers and their care of family members with cancer. The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of distress among family caregivers. Further, this study explored what aspects of caring for family member contributed to the distress.
Methods
Data were collected through in-depth interviews with thirteen family members primarily responsible for the care of the member with cancer. All interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed with qualitative content analysis.
Results
The findings showed that the patients’ physical, psychological, socio-relational, and spiritual symptoms influenced their caregivers’ distress. The four categories that emerged from the data included “ focusing attention only on the patient battling with cancer,” “ being trapped in turmoil of complex emotions and feelings,” “ having had to endure alone,” and “ hanging in there at the crossroads of life and death.” With respect to these categories, fourteen subcategories were ultimately identified.
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Table 1.
Characteristics of Family Caregivers
Table 2.
Distress Experienced by Family Caregivers
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