INDIAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH STUDIES - Volume 2 Issue 2, July 2020

Pages: 45-63

Date of Publication: 31-Jul-2020

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Feasibility Testing of the COPE Psycho-education and Emotion Support Intervention for Cancer Caregivers in India

Author: Shoma Chakrawarty, Dhanalakshmi D

Category: Health Studies

Abstract:

The cumulative effect of the rapid scientific, industrial, and societal changes have made substantial improvements in life, longevity, and ease of living, the process has not been without its share of adverse consequences. Chronic illnesses and their psychosocial sequelae on the patient and family are at the forefront of these concerns. The current study aimed to examine if a tailored psycho-education and emotional support intervention module, titled COPE, developed in the United States of America, would be effective in improving the general health of cancer caregivers, using a single-subject design. Five distressed cancer caregivers were repeatedly assessed on their levels of general health, to establish baseline, intervention, and follow-up trends and these emerging trends were subjected to visual and statistical analysis using the 2 SD band method. The results indicated positive and consistent drops in psychological distress in three cases and qualitative data also supplemented these findings. These findings underscore the need to recognize and fulfil the unmet needs of information and support for cancer caregivers who are instrumental in the care their patients receive. It also sheds light on the forgotten single-case designs as a valuable alternative to the conventional RCT-based models for running interventions meaningfully for at-risk and inaccessible populations.

Keywords: Cancer caregiver, psychoeducation, COPE model, general health, emotional support, psychosocial oncology, prepared family caregiver model.

DOI: 10.56490/IJHS.2020.2203

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.56490/IJHS.2020.2203