Changes and predictors of resilience among wife and husband caregivers of patients with advanced cancer: A longitudinal study.

Abstract

Background: Resilience as a dynamic process plays a significant role in caregivers' mental health. Little is known about gender differences in the resilience process and predictors of resilience in spousal caregivers.

Aim: To investigate changes in resilience among wives and husbands of patients with advanced cancer over a 6-month posttreatment period, and identify different predictors of resilience between females and males.

Design: This longitudinal, observational study was conducted from January to December 2022.

Setting/participants: Spousal caregivers of patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancer were recruited from five regional tertiary hospitals in China. There were three assessment points at 1, 3, and 6 months post-initial treatment. The dependent variable was resilience, and five independent repeated variables were investigated.

Results: Totally, 179 wife caregivers and 133 husband caregivers were included. Resilience in both wife caregivers and husband caregivers increased over time (Wald χ² = 29.83, p < 0.001) but husbands had higher levels of resilience than wives (Wald χ² = 35.59, p < 0.001). However, there was no interaction between time and gender (Wald χ² = 5.25, p > 0.05). Patient functional status, caregiver burden, social support, coping self-efficacy, and mutuality were predictors of resilience for wife caregivers. Meanwhile, patient functional status, caregiver burden and coping self-efficacy could predict resilience for husband caregivers.

Conclusions: Healthcare providers may develop gender-specific interventions to promote resilience in spousal caregivers of patients with advanced cancer. This would improve mental health for caregivers in the process of palliative care.