Resilience Modulators and Overburden in Major Caregivers of Advanced Cancer Patients

Foundation: the caregiver plays an important role in helping and supporting a patient with cancer, but at the same time has the emotional and work burden which this work presupposes. Objective: to determine the resilience modulating factors and the degree of burden in major caregivers of advanced cancer patients. Method: a descriptive study was developed at the Area III Policlinic Cienfuegos during the period from December 2012 to March 2013. The universe was constituted by 25 primary caregivers of patients in an advanced stage of the disease. The studied variables were: sex, age, scholarship, occupation, marital status, kinship, time to patient care, self-esteem, optimism, emotional intelligence, and burden. The techniques used were: questionnaire and test of emotional intelligence, Coopersmith self-esteem inventory, caregiver burden scale by Zarit. Results: ages between 51 and 72 years predominated 48 %, 88 % were female, 40 % had elementary school level and 48 % were married, 72 % were housewives, 44 % were patients spouses, 52 % less than a year of care giving. 60 % had an intense burden, 48 % low level of self-esteem and an intense burden. 58.3 % of caregivers with low emotional intelligence had an intense burden. Conclusion: resilience modulators, self-esteem and emotional intelligence determine the level of burden suffered by major caregivers of advanced cancer patients