Psychological Resilience and Quality of Life in Family Caregivers of Patients with Terminal Cancer Across Levels of Spiritual Well-Being: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the role of spiritual well-being (SWB) in mediating or moderating the association between psychological resilience and quality of life (QoL) among family caregivers (FCs) of patients with terminal cancer. Methods: This cross-sectional study included FCs from nine hospice care units in South Korea between September 2021 and May 2023. Psychological resilience was assessed using the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (SWB) and the FACIT-Sp-12, and QoL was assessed using the Caregiver QoL Index-Cancer (CQOLC-K). A multivariate regression analysis was also performed. Results: The study included 164 FCs with a mean age of 53.6 years; Most were female (76.2%) and spouses (40.2%). Resilience showed a significant positive association with QoL and was related to lower burdensomeness and higher positive adaptation. Subgroup analyses based on the SWB levels revealed that the association between resilience and burdensomeness was significant only among FCs with low SWB, whereas the association with positive adaptation was significant among those with high SWB. Conclusion: Among the FCs of patients with terminal cancer, resilience reflects QoL, in which SWB may play an important role.