Family Cancer Caregivers Receiving a Specific Supportive Care Intervention Pre- and Postloss

The Effect of Receiving a FAM-SOTC Intervention Before and in the Bereavement Phase (FAM-SOTC-PL) on Bereaved Family Cancer Caregivers Outcomes: A Quasi-experimental Study

Background and study aims The effect of cancer caregiving may have profound impact on the psychosocial health of family caregivers and become evident after loss. Grief following the loss of a close relative is one of the most emotional challenging experience faced by family caregivers. Providing a family based intervention before and after a close relatives´death may positively impact bereavement outcomes. This study aims to assess the impact of a continuing specific supportive care intervention on bereaved family caregivers grief response scores and psychological distress following the loss of a close relative when offered before and after death because of cancer.

This clinical trial is part of a broader research study (registered trial intervention ISRCTN21786830) which aimed to evaluate a palliative care nurse-led family-oriented intervention Family-Strengths Oriented Therapeutic Conversation (FAM-SOTC) to support family caregivers of a close relative with advanced/final stage cancer, in the context of the family when receiving specialized palliative home-care. The purpose of the current trial is to investigate the effects of the FAM-SOTC intervention when additionally delivering the third session of the intervention in this trial; an adapted version; FAM-SOTC Post-Loss and repeated post-intervention measures at 3, 5 and six months post-loss completed by bereaved family caregivers who have prior participated in the FAM-SOTC trial intervention pre-loss are compared to measures at 3, 5 and six months post-loss among bereaved family caregivers in a control group who received usual care pre- and post-loss from the palliative home-care unit. The FAM-SOTC intervention and the FAM-SOTC Post Loss intervention is delivered simultaneously in two separate clinical trials, where two sessions were delivered pre-loss (FAM-SOTC) and one session delivered post-loss (FAM-SOTC-PL).

Inclusion Criteria:

• The eligibility criteria is that the primary family caregivers (who had been identified by the patient pre-death) are aged 18 years or older, bereaved due to cancer and that three months have passed since the deceased has died. Additional inclusion criteria is that the family caregivers have received care from a specialised palliative home-care unit at a university hospital in the advanced and final stage of their close relatives´ cancer trajectory.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non cancer and not being participating in another family level psycho-social intervention research.