BACKGROUND : Care services for cancer mainly focus on palliative care, where family members serve as informal caregivers. Caregivers are impacted by the care they offer, resulting in a burden. Higher levels of burden may be associated with increased morbidity and mortality among caregivers. There are several coping methods that may be used by people to get through their burdens. The purpose of this study is to estimate the primary caregiver burden and determine the factors associated with that burden. In addition, the primary caregivers' coping mechanisms were assessed.
METHODS : This study was a hospital-based cross-sectional analytical study done among 100 primary caregivers of cancer patients admitted to both the radiotherapy and oncology departments of a tertiary care hospital. Data was collected using the Zarit caregiver burden assessment scale and the Brief COPE scale questionnaire.
RESULTS : 43% of the caregivers had a mild to moderate burden. The caregiver adopted a problem-oriented coping style. Male caregivers relied on denial, whereas female caregivers relied on religion.
CONCLUSION : By measuring their burden and coping mechanisms, interventions may assist people in managing their physical, emotional, and social demands.