Abstract:
This study aimed to examine caregiving experience, sense of coherence, and meaning in life among family caregivers of patients with invasive cancers. The concurrent triangulation mixed methods design was employed. Participants were 200 caregivers of patients with invasive cancers at Wongwanich 3 5 6 7 and Daycare Center Chulalongkorn Hospital. Instruments were demographic questionnaire, Objective Burden Inventory, Caregiving Stress Appraisal, Sense of Coherence Scale, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Purpose in Life Test and interview protocol. Findings revealed as follow: 1) There were no differences in caregiving experiences between female caregivers and male caregivers 2) Spouse caregivers reported higher numbers of caregiving experiences as compared to blood-relation caregivers 3) Age, sex, duration of caring, amount hours of caring per day, previous caregiving experiences, type of relation, objective caregiving experience, and caregiving stress were able to predict sense of coherence of family caregivers at 29 percent 4) Age, sex, duration of caring, amount hours of caring per day, previous caregiving experiences, type of relation, objective caregiving experience, caregiving stress, and sense of coherence were able to predict the meaning in life and purpose in life of family caregivers at 14 and 43 percent 5) The qualitative data from 7 participants were obtained through interview. Qualitative findings supported the quantitative results that although family caregivers had a high frequency of caring experiences but they did not feel a burden and caring stress because because they perceived the sense of coherence and meaning in life. The caregivers perceived caregiving situations as their responsibility and their capability had been challenged by the situations