The effect of quality of life on hope levels of caregivers of cancer patients receiving palliative care

Purpose: Cancer is perceived as a disease that is full of hopelessness and uncertainty, that arouses panic and anxiety in patients and their relatives, and that evokes death because it has a phonetics that makes you feel bad. Since cancer is very difficult to accept and treat, both the patient who is diagnosed and the caregiver who is the biggest witness of this process await a long and exhausting treatment period in every aspect. Cancer negatively affects patients both physically and psycho-socially. In this difficult process, the person who is with the patient and takes care of the patient is also affected by this situation and the quality of life decreases. In recent years, the importance of the concept of hope in palliative care has been increasing. A holistic approach that includes the psycho-social evaluation of the caregiver as well as the patient from the time of diagnosis is very important. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effect of quality of life on hope levels of caregivers of cancer patients receiving palliative care. Method: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted between 01.10.2022 and 30.06.2023 on 164 relatives of patients who care for individuals diagnosed with cancer who were inpatients or outpatients in the Palliative Care Unit of Bitlis State Hospital. The participants were administered the Patient Introduction Form and Caregiver Introduction Form to determine their sociodemographic characteristics about the patients and themselves, and the Quality of Life Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale in Caregivers of Cancer Patients to determine their quality of life and hope levels. Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 package program. Independent sample t test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Pearson correlation analysis were used in statistical analysis. Statistical significance level was taken as p<0.05. Results: Of the 164 patient relatives included in the study, 77.4% were female, 47.6% were between the ages of 30 and 50, 68.3% were married, 61% had children, 57.3% had a university degree or higher, 51.2% were employed, 87.2% had social security, 92.1% lived with their families, 60.4% provided patient care for 0-1 year. 71.3% stated that they had difficulty with responsibility, 43.9% stated that their health was affected, 34.1% stated that their family relationships were affected. 23.8% stated that they received mental health support, 15.2% stated that they had another dependent, 61.6% stated that they had their own transportation to the hospital, 96.3% stated that they knew the diagnosis of the patient. In our study, it was found that the quality of life of the patient's relatives was low (48.94±16.53) and their hopelessness level was high (16.35±3.34). It was found that the quality of life in caregivers of patients with cancer was lower in females, those with low education level, those with poor economic status, those without social security, those living in villages and towns, those who were first-degree relatives of the patient, those who had difficulty in fulfilling their responsibilities, those whose health and family relationships were affected in the care process, those who had more daily caregiving time and those who did not receive help in the care process (p<0.05). The level of hopelessness was found to be higher in males, those with low education level, those with poor economic status, those living in the province/district, those who used vehicles other than their own vehicle and buses to reach the hospital, those who had siblings, those who had difficulty in responsibility and those who received support from a mental health specialist in this process (p<0.05). There was no significant correlation between the total scores of the Quality of Life Scale and Beck Hopelessness Scale in Caregivers of Patients with Cancer (r=-0.382, p>0.05). However, it was found that those with high levels of hopelessness in the sub-dimensions of the scales had low quality of life. Conclusion: The quality of life in caregivers of patients with cancer is quite low and the level of hopelessness is quite high. No significant relationship was found between the total scores of quality of life and hopelessness level in caregivers of patients with cancer. However, as expected in the sub-dimensions of the scales, it can be said that those who experience high hopelessness have low quality of life. Key Words: Palliative Care, Caregiver, Quality of Life, Hope, Cancer