Abstract
PURPOSE: To (1) investigate the changes in 5 domains (lack of family support, impact on finance, impact on daily schedule, impact on health, and self-esteem) of family caregiver (FC) burden and overall burden for first diagnosed colorectal cancer; (2) exploring changes in FC burden for colorectal cancer patients over time and analyze the trajectory and sub-trajectories of FC burden; and (3) identify the FC-related and patient-related factors most associated with the overall FC burden and each of its sub-trajectories. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study is a descriptive longitudinal study. A convenience sampling method was used to recruit patients with colorectal cancer and their primary FCs from seven hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 185 pairs of first diagnosed colorectal cancer patient and their FC were investigated for 4 times. The results reveal the overall burden and 5 domains of burden showed a trend of increasing first and then decreasing, and the burden was the heaviest at the time in the middle of chemotherapy. In the course of time, the aspect that caused the greatest amount of burden on average transitioned from the "effect on daily schedule" (range= 3.3 and 3.9) to the "effect on finances" (range= 3.1 to 3.4). CONCLUSION: Almost 88% of FCs have a either a moderate or a high level of burden. The quality of life of patients and the self-efficacy, social support and care ability of FCs have a great impact on the overall FC burden and each sub-trajectory.