Impact of Caregivers’ Burden of Cancer Patients on their Psychological Well-being: Role of Self-Compassion

Abstract

Caring for a person with cancer imposes substantial emotional, physical, and social demands on caregivers. High levels of caregiver burden are associated with elevated psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and diminished quality of life. Self‑compassion—treating oneself with kindness, recognizing common humanity, and being mindful of one’s own suffering—may buffer the negative psychological effects of caregiving, yet its role in this context is understudied. This study examines the relationship between caregiver burden in cancer caregiving, psychological well‑being (anxiety, depression, stress, quality of life), and evaluates whether caregiver self‑compassion moderates or mediates this relationship. A cross‑sectional design was used. Sample comprised N informal caregivers of cancer patients recruited from oncology clinics/hospitals. Participants completed validated questionnaires assessing: caregiver burden (e.g. Zarit Burden Interview), psychological well‑being (measures of anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life), and self‑compassion (e.g. the Self‑Compassion Scale). Demographic and care‑related variables (e.g., duration of caregiving, patient disease stage) were also collected. Data were analyzed using correlation, regression, and moderation/mediation analyses to test the buffering vs explanatory role of self‑compassion. Caregiver burden was significantly positively correlated with psychological distress (anxiety, depression, and stress) and negatively correlated with quality of life. Self‑compassion was inversely correlated with distress and positively with quality of life. In mediation analyses, self‑compassion partially mediated the impact of caregiver burden on psychological well‑being: higher self‑compassion attenuated the effect of burden on distress. In moderation analyses, caregivers with higher self‑compassion showed weaker associations between burden and poor psychological outcomes than those with lower self‑compassion. These effects remained significant after controlling for demographic and caregiving variables. The findings suggest that self‑compassion is a valuable psychological resource for cancer caregivers. Interventions to enhance self‑compassion may reduce the negative impact of caregiver burden on mental health and improve the quality of life. Future longitudinal research is recommended to clarify causal pathways and to test the efficacy of self‑compassion‑based interventions in caregiver populations.