Relationship between Mental Health of Patients with Advanced Cancer in Palliative Chemotherapy and their Family Caregivers

Facing an incurable disease challenges confrontation with finitude, arousing fears and impacting negatively the mental health of patients and family caregivers. The aim of this study was to evaluate anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers, investigating the association between these factors. 25 patients and 25 caregivers were interviewed using WHOQOL Brief, HADS, ZARIT Burden Interview, and sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. Data were submitted to descriptive analysis, correlation and comparison. Patients and caregivers presented similar levels of QoL, anxiety and depression. At the intersection between groups, no correlations were identified for most domains of QoL, anxiety or depression. In the intragroup analysis, the psychological domain of QoL was associated positively with all other domains evaluated in patients and caregivers. Anxiety and depression were negatively associated with QoL in both groups. Caregiver burden was inversely related to QoL, Anxiety and Depression of caregivers. Anxiety, Depression and Burden are underlined as areas in which patients and caregivers can benefit from interventions to improve their QoL.