[Burden, anxiety and depression in patient's caregivers with chronic pain and in palliative care].
BACKGROUND
In Mexico there are few studies about the psychological characteristics of the person that voluntary and in a complete sense assumes the role of responsible of a patient. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the levels of burden, anxiety and depression of 56 caregivers of patients with chronic pain with the ones of 35 caregivers of terminally ill patients.


METHODS
The study was conduced at the Chronic Pain and Palliative Medicine Department of the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán". We used the Spanish version of the Burden Interview and the Informal Primary Caregiver Health Survey.


RESULTS
Both groups went over the cut off point of the Burden Scale even though no significative differences between groups were found nor in burden or in anxiety. The caregivers of terminal patients had more depression symptoms and a greater perception of the impact of the care activity in their mood. Positive correlations between burden and depression, depression and anxiety and burden and anxiety were found.


CONCLUSIONS
All caregivers reported multiple depression symptoms--greater if they cared terminally ill patients--so, it may suggest that the patient's illness directly influences the depression symptoms of their caregivers. This study can help to develop intervention programs directed to help this population that is the principal support of the patient's treatment.
Alfaro-Ramírez del Castillo
Olga Isabel
OI
Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. olagaisabelalfaro@hotmail.com
Morales-Vigil
Tania
T
Vázquez-Pineda
Fernando
F
Sánchez-Román
Sofía
S
Ramos-del Río
Bertha
B
Guevara-López
Uriah
U
D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017028:Caregivers; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain; D059408:Pain Management; D010166:Palliative Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires