Cross-sectional study finds resilience reduces patient distress but raises caregiver burden, suggesting the need for gender-sensitive interventions.
Aims: This study explores the relationship between resilience and self-efficacy in palliative care patients and caregivers, focusing on gender differences in emotional expression and the impact of patient-caregiver dynamics on distress and coping. Methods: A cross-sectional study involved 160 palliative patients and 123 caregivers. Validated tools assessed resilience (Resilience Scale-14), self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale), distress (Integrated Palliative Care Outcome Scale), emotional expressivity (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), and caregiving burden (Caregiver Inventory). Regression and mediation analyses identified predictors of distress and burden. Results: Higher resilience correlated with lower patient distress ( p = .004) but increased caregiver burden ( p < .001). Resilience mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and burden. Male patients had more difficulty identifying emotions ( p < .001). The patient-caregiver relationship type did not significantly affect distress. Conclusions: While resilience is a protective factor for patients, it may unintentionally heighten the burden on caregivers. Gender-sensitive psychological interventions are needed to improve emotional processing and coping strategies.
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Lafuenti et al. (2025) studied this question.