Care Burden, Well-being, and Affecting Factors of Family Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients

Objectives In palliative care, family caregivers play central roles in supporting patients and might face a burden during this process. The present study aimed to determine the family caregiver burden and well-being in caregivers of palliative care patients, and to investigate the effects of sociodemographic characteristics of family caregivers and patients, and the clinical information and daily living activities dependency status of patients. Methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 102 family caregivers in a palliative care unit in western Turkiye between May 2024 and March 2025. The data were collected using the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5), and the Katz Daily Living Activities (DLA) Index. Results The mean ZBI score was 35.58 ± 14.07, and the mean WHO-5 score was 34.63 ± 23.61. A total of 56.9% of the patients were completely dependent according to the Katz DLA. There was a statistically significant negative relationship between caregiver burden and well-being ( p < .05). Multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived income sufficiency, problems with other responsibilities, and the patient's dependence on daily living activities negatively affected caregiver burden ( p < .05). Additionally, caregiver age of 55 years or older, low caregiver burden, and the patient's independence in daily activities positively affected caregiver well-being ( p < .05). Conclusions This study revealed that increasing the burden of care negatively impacts family caregiver well-being. Interventions aimed at reducing the burden of care and improving well-being should be developed and implemented.