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Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Abstract

Background: Palliative care service undoubtedly aims at quality of life of both the patients and their family members. Caring for the ill can bring about mental burden to the caregivers; but this is understudied in Thai literature. Objective: This study aimed to explore the anxiety state and associated factors in caregivers of palliative patients, particularly in urban setting as Bangkok. Methods: We recruited 93 caregivers of inpatients consulted to the Palliative Care Unit of King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital. The instruments used include Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) - Thai version and The State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Form). Multiple linear Regression Analysis was used to examine the associated factors of anxiety among family caregivers. Results: Multiple regression analysis found that caregiver’s age (P = 0.04), caregiver’s relationship to the patient (P = 0.01), and caregiver’s STAI trait score (P = 0.1 ) had significant association with the caregiver’s STAI state score, with effect size (f2) of 0.04 (small), 0.03 (small), and 0.21 (medium), respectively. In subgroup analysis of relative – only family caregiver, multivariate analysis found the following factors caregiver’s age (P = 0.02), caregiver’s STAI trait score (P = 0.0), patient’s gender (P = 0.046) reached significant association with the caregiver’s STAI state score. Conclusion: Certain demographic factors (caregiver’s age, degree of relation, and trait anxiety) associated with caregiver’s anxiety. However, ESAS, the rating for perceived symptom severity, did not show significant association.

DOI

10.58837/CHULA.CMJ.65.3.9

First Page

289

Last Page

296

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