Self-perceived burden to others: patient and family caregiver correlates

To provide further evidence about the prevalence and correlates of the sense of "self-perceived burden" (SPB) to others, and to examine its association with caregiver reports of burden.

The participants were 65 patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers. Patients completed measures of SPB and family members completed a caregiver burden scale.

SPB was experienced at minimal to mild levels by 35% of patients, and at moderate to extreme levels by another 28%. It was correlated with some physical symptoms, but more frequently with psychological symptoms. The family members of patients who reported that SPB was a significant problem had higher scores on the caregiver burden scale than family members of other patients (p=0.048), although the overall correlation was modest.

SPB is a common and distressing concern for many patients receiving palliative care and is associated with a number of other distressing concerns.