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Cited by 121Palliative Care and End-of-Life IssuesNursing care and researchGrief, Bereavement, and Mental Health

Caregiver burden among informal caregivers in the largest specialized palliative care unit in Malaysia: a cross sectional study

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Ahmad Zubaidi, Zati Sabrina, Ariffin, Farnaza, Oun, Cindy Teoh Cy, Katiman, Diana·2020·BMC Palliative Care
DOI 10.1186/s12904-020-00691-1PMC PMC7722979
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Abstract

Background: Informal caregivers (IC) are often overshadowed by the attention required by the terminally ill. This study aims to reveal the estimated proportion of caregiver burden, psychological manifestations and factors associated with caregiver burden among IC in the largest specialized Palliative Care Unit (PCU) in Malaysia. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving IC attending a PCU. Caregiver burden and psychological manifestations were measured using previously translated and validated Zarit Burden Interview and DASS-21 questionnaires respectively. Two hundred forty-nine samples were selected for analysis. Result: The mean ZBI score was 23.33 ± 13.7. About half of the population 118(47.4%) was found to experienced caregiver burden whereby majority have mild to moderate burden 90(36.1%). The most common psychological manifestation among IC is anxiety 74(29.7%) followed by depression 51(20.4%) and stress 46(18.5%). Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that women who are IC to patients with non-malignancy were less likely to experience caregiver burden. IC who were highly educated and spent more than 14 h per day caregiving were at least twice likely to experience caregiver burden. Finally, those with symptoms of depression and anxiety were three times more likely to suffer from caregiver burden. Conclusion: Caregiver burden among IC to palliative patients is prevalent in this population. IC who are men, educated, caregiving for patients with malignancy, long hours of caregiving and have symptoms of depression and anxiety are at risk of developing caregiver burden. Targeted screening should be implemented and IC well-being should be given more emphasis in local policies.

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  • In a study from a palliative care unit in Malaysia that included 249 informal caregivers of patients with life-limiting illnesses, of whom 74% had malignancy, the mean ZBI-22 score was 23.

    “Similarly, the mean ZBI-22 score was 23 in a study from a palliative care unit in Malaysia that included 249 informal caregivers of patients with life-limiting illnesses of whom 74% had malignancy [27].”

    From Caregiver burden among family caregivers of incurable cancer patients in two eastern Mediterranean countries (2021) · cites this paper as [27]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Ahmad Zubaidi, Z. S., Ariffin, F., Oun, C. T. C., & Katiman, D.
Affiliations
Universiti Teknologi MARA System (MY)
ORCID
Venue
BMC Palliative Care
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2020-12
Volume
19
Issue
1
Pages
186-186
ISSN
1472-684X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12904-020-00691-1
PMC
PMC7722979
OpenAlex
W3112777572
Cited by
121
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 8
FWCI
10.31
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Palliative Care (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Greater South Information System
Funders
Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (RACER/1/2019/SKK01/UITM//1)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
  • Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Nursing care and research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
Keywords
caregiver burden, informal caregivers, palliative care, psychological manifestations, anxiety, depression, stress, Zarit Burden Interview, DASS-21, caregiving hours, caregiver education, cancer, caregiver well-being, risk factors
MeSH terms
Caregiver Burden, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Patient Care, Humans, Malaysia, Male, Middle Aged, Palliative Care, Patients' Rooms, Surveys and Questionnaires

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