Anticipatory Grief and Associated Factors Among Family Caregivers of Patients with Palliative Needs in Portugal: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives: Anticipatory grief among family caregivers of individuals with palliative care needs is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that remains underexplored in the Portuguese context, despite the central role of informal caregivers in care provision. Understanding the factors associated with this experience is essential for promoting caregivers’ well-being and the quality of palliative care. This study aims to assess anticipatory grief and associated factors among family caregivers of people with palliative needs at home in Portugal. Methods: An exploratory cross-sectional and descriptive-correlational study was conducted with a sample of 351 family caregivers in Portugal. Data were collected through an e-survey, including sociodemographic variables, the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory—Short Form (MM-CGI-SF), the Zarit Burden Interview, the Family Needs Inventory (FIN), the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS-r), and the Palliative Performance Scale (PPS). Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression. The study followed the STROBE checklist. Results: Family caregivers presented a mean anticipatory grief score of 56.90 ± 13.84. Approximately 55.3% of the participants showed severe burden levels. Anticipatory grief was significantly associated with lower functional status of the care recipient, greater caregiver burden, higher intensity of emotional symptoms, and lower satisfaction of family needs. The multiple regression model explained 55.2% of the variance in anticipatory grief (R2 = 0.552). In the adjusted model, impact of caregiving, care-related expectations, functional status, fulfilment of family needs, caregiver age, perceived self-efficacy, and caregiver-proxy-rated depressive symptoms were significantly associated with anticipatory grief, with impact of caregiving and care-related expectations showing the largest standardized regression coefficients. Conclusions: Although exploratory in nature, the findings suggest that anticipatory grief represents an important aspect of the caregiving experience among family caregivers of individuals with palliative care needs. Early recognition of anticipatory grief, caregiver burden, and unmet support needs may facilitate the development of tailored interventions designed to alleviate psychological distress, enhance caregivers’ preparedness, and improve the quality of family-centered care.