Psychosocial experiences of caring by family caregivers of patients living with prostate cancer in a teaching hospital: A descriptive phenomenological study.
Jerry Paul K Ninnoni, Benedicta Owoo
PMID 37269049WHAT IT FOUND
Family caregivers of patients with prostate cancer described persistent anxiety, financial strain, lost work, marital strain and hiding distress.
Some reported being unprepared for lifting, toileting and home care, and needing emotional and practical support.
Key findings
01Caregivers described psychological strain, including anxiety, feeling inadequate, hopelessness, uncertainty and hiding distress from the patient.
02They also described social strain, including sexual concerns, role adjustment, loss of livelihood, marital turmoil and reduced leisure.
03Some caregivers reported that no one had taught them how to manage the patient's pain or home care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All 12 caregivers were from a single hospital in Cape Coast, and all were children or spouses of the patients, so the findings may not apply to other family relationships or settings. Eleven participants were female, all were Christian, and all lived in the Cape Coast Metropolis, which limits gender, religious and cultural diversity. The study did not include patients, so the patient's perspective was not used to check the caregivers' accounts. It described experiences rather than testing any support or intervention, so it cannot show what changes outcomes for caregivers or patients. Bereaved caregivers were excluded, so experiences after the patient's death are not represented. Some local language expressions may not have direct English translations, which can affect interpretation.
Declared interests
No funding was reported, and the authors declared no financial conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that caregiver support programmes improve outcomes. It described family caregivers' experiences at a single hospital and tested no intervention.