Anxiety in Hospice Inpatients With Advanced Cancer, From the Perspective of Their Informal Caregivers: A Qualitative Study.
Jette M Duijn, Danielle Zweers, Marijke C Kars and 2 others
PMID 33633096WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers of hospice patients with advanced cancer saw anxiety as often daily, especially at night or when alone.
They noted restlessness, withdrawal, and small gestures. They said staff should start anxiety conversations and preserve patients' control.
Key findings
01Caregivers reported patients often experienced anxiety daily, especially late at night and when alone, and rated current anxiety a median 6.5.
02Caregivers recognized anxiety through behavior such as restlessness, hostility, avoidance, withdrawal, and small gestures like twisting a ring.
03Caregivers said professionals had to initiate a dialogue about anxiety because patients did not do this by themselves.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The findings are informal caregivers' perceptions. Patients did not confirm them, so they may not match the patient's own experience of anxiety. Only 14 caregivers of 12 patients were interviewed, at one hospice in the Netherlands, so the sample is small and may not apply to other settings. Six invited caregivers did not participate because they felt burdened, and two could not be interviewed because the patient died first, so caregivers who were more available or willing to talk may be overrepresented. Some caregivers discussed anxiety with the patient before the interview, which may have changed what they reported. The impact of age and culture was not explored. The interviews were conducted in Dutch with Dutch-speaking caregivers, which may limit transferability.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. No funding source is stated in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these caregiver-reported anxiety signs and needs as tested interventions that reduce anxiety. This is a qualitative interview study, and the caregivers' views were not confirmed by the patients, so they describe perceptions and themes rather than proven effects.