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Acceptance and valued living as critical appraisal and coping strengths for caregivers dealing with terminal illness and bereavement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 April 2014

Esther L Davis ,
Frank P. Deane  and
Geoffrey C.B. Lyons
Esther L Davis*
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Frank P. Deane
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
Geoffrey C.B. Lyons
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Esther Davis, Illawarra Institute for Mental Health (B22), University of WollongongNSW 2522. E-mail: eld458@uowmail.edu.au
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Abstract

Objective:

Informal caregivers of palliative care patients play an essential role in the coordination of care for patients during their final phases of life. However, undertaking a caregiving role can have enduring psychological consequences for caregivers and interfere with functioning. Studies have investigated a variety of factors associated with individual differences in caregiver psychosocial outcomes, but little is known about their relative impact, and there is a need for guiding models to support research in this area.

Method:

A review of the literature was conducted on factors influencing the psychological distress and grief of caregivers. Drawing from acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and Stroebe and colleagues' integrative risk factor framework, we developed a process model to describe individual differences in caregiver psychological distress and grief.

Results:

The model presents caregiver psychological distress and grief as functions of death attitudes and communication about death and dying, mediated by acceptance and valued living from an ACT perspective. An outline of the empirical and theoretical underpinnings for each component in the model is provided.

Significant of results:

The presented model is an inherently strengths-based model that is concordant with acceptance- and values- (ACT) based interventions to facilitate coping in caregivers.

Keywords

Palliative careCaregiverAcceptance and commitment therapyTheoretical model
Type
Review Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 13 , Issue 2 , April 2015 , pp. 359 - 368
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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