Assessment of role strain among family caregivers of adult patients with cancer at a national referral hospital in Kenya

Global psycho-oncology in low middle-income countries: Challenges and opportunities

OBJECTIVES

This Special Issue of Psycho-Oncology is focused on challenges and opportunities in the provision of psychosocial care to patients in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). The aim is to highlight global disparities and inequity in the provision of evidence-based, culturally-sensitive and timely psychosocial care and to showcase the work of researchers and practitioners to address this gap. We hope that this Issue will help to advance the psychological and social dimensions of cancer care in all parts of the world.

METHODS

The focus of the papers is on research and clinical innovations in LMICs that target the psychological, social and cultural dimensions of cancer and on interventions to improve or maintain the psychological well-being, social functioning and/or quality of life of those who are affected and their families.

RESULTS

These papers draw attention to guidelines, resource needs, clinical service evaluation, emerging research and knowledge translation within LMICs that advance knowledge and implementation in the field of psycho-oncology.

CONCLUSIONS

Innovations and advances in psycho-oncology are emerging from LMICs to enhance the care of patients with cancer and their families in these regions and in all parts of the world. A sustained global initiative is now needed to ensure that guidelines for such care are routinely included in global, national and local cancer control plans and that essential resources and attention are directed to implement them.

The psychometric properties of a caregiving-related strain scale in oncology

BACKGROUND

Caregivers are rarely assessed for caregiving-related strain. This study explored the psychometric properties of the caregiving-related physical, emotional, and financial strain questions in the National Alliance for Caregiving's (NAC) survey and a new total score (NAC-3).

METHODS

Comparisons were made to existing caregiver quality of life, distress, and burden instruments through an online, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adult cancer caregivers.

RESULTS

Findings from 299 caregivers showed that the NAC-3 was moderately to strongly associated with each of the comparison instruments. Similar concepts were also shown to be more strongly correlated (except physical health construct) and dissimilar concepts items had weaker correlations.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that the total score and individual items are psychometrically sound for use as compared to established caregiving-related instruments. The total score and items provide a concise option, potentially beneficial for clinical use, and can be compared to nationally representative samples of caregivers through NAC's surveys.