Principales estilos de afrontamiento que utilizan los cuidadores primarios de niños con cáncer en cualquiera de las etapas de la enfermedad que residan en Córdoba-Colombia, 2020

Abstract

Introduction: The accompaniment of the family caregiver during the disease process is a fundamental aspect for the patient, especially if it is a child since they require full-time caregivers, therefore, these can have repercussions in the different dimensions (physical, social and mental) for this it is important to establish positive coping styles to cope with the disease, helping them to overcome and manage the situation in a positive way by presenting adaptive responses to the situation. Objective: To determine the main coping styles that are used by the primary caregivers of children diagnosed with cancer during the stages of the clinical process. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study, with a quantitative approach, in which 30 caregivers of children with cancer participated, residing in different municipalities of the department of Córdoba, to which a telephone survey was applied, designed by the researchers, in order to evaluate the coping styles proposed by Carver and the different emotions experienced in the different stages of the clinical process. Results: the problem-centered coping style predominates; followed in order of frequencies by emotion-focused coping styles, the most infrequent style was avoidance and, lastly, mixed coping styles. Regarding emotions, it was found that caregivers experience different emotions in their adaptation response process, mostly positive, such as faith and hope, accompanied by negative emotions such as worry, sadness and stress. Conclusions: Caregivers, despite the impact that cancer has on their family members, put into practice effective coping styles and strategies that help them to navigate, adapt and overcome a difficult situation