Psychosocial Support Needs and Preferences of Caregivers of Lung Cancer Patients

研究表明，相当大比例的晚期癌症患者的家庭照顾者(30%至50%)经历了严重的临床痛苦。肺癌是最常见的癌症死亡原因，与其他癌症类型的患者相比，患有这种疾病的患者经历了更多的症状苦恼，这可能会增加护理需求。目前，人们对癌症患者家庭照顾者利用心理社会支持服务不足的原因知之甚少，也缺乏针对这一人群的需求而量身定做的基于研究的干预措施。 在这项研究中，临床上有重大痛苦的主要家庭照顾者(例如，配偶、成年子女；N=80)的样本将在患者确诊肺癌后大约4至6周和3个月后被招募来完成个人电话评估。在研究期间没有获得心理社会服务的亚样本(n=30)也将在3个月随访后的2周内完成定性访谈。本研究旨在探讨：(1)肺癌患者主要家庭照顾者的心理社会和实际需要；(2)在这一人群中使用心理社会支持服务的心理社会和实际障碍；(3)家庭照顾者在心理社会支持干预方面的偏好(首选主题、方式、提供者、时机)。最后，将评估理论驱动的人口和心理社会变量在多大程度上预测家庭照顾者随后使用心理社会支持服务。结果将直接为设计和提供新的心理社会干预措施提供信息，这些干预措施是为肺癌患者的家庭照顾者的需求量身定做的。此外，这项研究将提供新的有价值的信息，以确定不太可能使用心理社会支持服务的肺癌患者的苦恼家庭照顾者，并制定策略，增加对这些服务的适当使用。

Research has shown that a significant proportion of advanced cancer patients' family caregivers (30% to 50%) experience clinically significant distress. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths, and patients with this disease experience more symptom distress relative to patients with other cancer types, which may increase care-giving demands. Currently, there is limited knowledge of the reasons that cancer patients' family caregivers underutilize psychosocial support services, and there is a paucity of research-based interventions that are tailored to the needs of this population. In this study, a sample of primary family caregivers (e.g., spouses, adult children; N = 80) with clinically significant distress will be recruited to complete individual phone assessments approximately 4 to 6 weeks after the patient's lung cancer diagnosis and three months later. A subsample (n = 30) that has not accessed psychosocial services over the study period will also complete a qualitative interview within 2 weeks of the 3- month follow-up. The study aims are to examine: (1) psychosocial and practical needs of primary family caregivers of lung cancer patients; (2) psychosocial and practical barriers to psychosocial support service use in this population; and (3) family caregivers' preferences (preferred topics, modality, provider, timing) regarding psychosocial support interventions. Finally, the extent to which theory-driven demographic and psychosocial variables at baseline predict subsequent psychosocial support service use among family caregivers will be assessed. Results will directly inform the design and delivery of new psychosocial interventions that are tailored to the needs of lung cancer patients' family caregivers. In addition, this study will provide new and valuable information for identifying distressed family caregivers of lung cancer patients who are less likely to use psychosocial support services and developing strategies to increase appropriate use of these services.