Comparison of Care Stress in Caregivers of Patients with Cancer or Chronic Mental Disorders

Abstract

Background: Families of patients with chronic mental and physical disorders provide patients with a number of supportive measures. Caregivers of this group of patients endure a lot of care stress Identifying the extent of these stresses can play a decisive role in promoting their mental health. This study was conducted to compare the care stress in caregivers of patients with chronic physical and mental diseases. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study in which 300 patients with cancer or mental disorders who referred to the inpatient and outpatient wards of Seyed Al-Shohada, Noor, and Farabi hospitals Isfahan City, Iran, in the summer of 2019, were selected by convenient methods. Data collection tools included Novak and Gast Stress Pressure Questionnaire and a researcher-made questionnaire of demographic characteristics. Data analysis was performed using independent t test. Findings: The mean care stress among caregivers of patients with cancer was 55.8 ± 17.92 as well as 62.60 ± 20.02 among the caregivers of patients with mental disorders. There was a significant difference between the overall score of caring stress and its subscales among the caregivers of patients with cancer or mental disorders. According to the mean scores, these values were higher among the caregivers of patients with psychiatric disorders than that of patients with cancer. However, there was no significant difference between the time-dependent care stress components. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, patients with chronic diseases place a great deal of care stress on caregivers. In addition, the mean care stress in caregivers of patients with mental disorders are higher than in patients with cancer. © 2022 Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.