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Association between emotional competence and risk of unmet supportive care needs in caregivers of cancer patients at the beginning of care

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Abstract

Purpose

This cross-sectional study explored the associations between intrapersonal and interpersonal emotional competence (EC) and the unmet supportive care needs (SCN), anxiety, and depression of informal caregivers at the beginning of gastrointestinal or haematological cancer care, i.e. during chemotherapy and within 6 months after diagnosis.

Methods

The participants completed a self-reported questionnaire, comprising the Short Profile of Emotional Competence (S-PEC), the SCN survey for partners and caregivers (SCNS-P&C), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to explore the influence of EC on unmet SCN and the presence of moderate/severe anxiety or depression.

Results

Most of the 203 caregivers were women (n = 141, 69.80%) and the partners of patients (n = 148, 73.27%) suffering from gastrointestinal (n = 112, 55.17%) and haematological (n = 91, 44.83%) cancer. Only intrapersonal EC showed a significant influence out of all the dimensions of unmet SCN related to healthcare services and information (odds ratio (OR) = 0.35 [95%CI 0.19; 0.65]), emotional and psychological needs (OR = 0.43 [95%CI 0.25; 0.74]), work and social security (OR = 0.57 [95%CI 0.37; 0.88]), and communication and family support (OR = 0.61 [95%CI 0.39; 0.95]). A one-unit increase in the intrapersonal EC score significantly reduced the probability of anxiety (OR = 0.42, [95%CI 0.26; 0.68]) and depression (OR = 0.34, [95%CI 0.21; 0.55]).

Conclusion

Intrapersonal EC of caregivers is crucial to reduce the risk of unmet SCN, anxiety, and depression from the beginning of care. Identifying caregivers with lower intrapersonal EC may be necessary to increase vigilance from healthcare professionals and psychologists.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The present study was supported by the Ligue Contre le Cancer. The SCALab Laboratory is part of the ONCOLille Institute, and the study received a grant from the Contrat de Plan Etat-Région CPER Cancer 2015–2020. We thank all the participants of the CEMA-D study, all the investigators (especially Amorym Sandy, Barbieux Sarah, Barrascout Eduardo, Bourgeois Emmanuelle, Cambier Nathalie, Carpentier Benjamin, Cornea Claudiu, Demarquette Hélène, Desplechin Arnaud, Fruchart Christophe, Garnotel Marie, Peugniez Charlotte), and the Clinical Research Associates (especially Antoine Lydie, Brzyski Dorothee, Dhalluin Quentin, Delannay Justine, Deraed Sandy, Druelle Katarina, Dumortier Mandy, Fressin Elise, Gonda Benoite, Ouanoughi Sabrina, Petri Marion, Vambre Julie, Fahima Yahi-Zidat). We also thank Chiron Juliette, Dreux Malicia, Duhamel Amandine, Foure Maureen, Giovagnoli Sophie, Mahieuxe Magali, Van De Casteele Tom, for their help with inclusions, as well as Cooke-Martageix Emilie for English proofreading. Finally, we thank the Northwest Data Center (CTD-CNO), supported by grants from the French National League Against Cancer (LNC), and the French National Cancer Institute (INCa) for managing the data.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pôle Cancérologie Et Spécialités Médicales, Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes, Valenciennes, France

    Anne-Sophie Baudry & Antoine Lemaire

  2. Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives Et Sciences Affectives, 59000, Lille, France

    Anne-Sophie Baudry & Veronique Christophe

  3. Human and Social Sciences Department, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France

    Anne-Sophie Baudry, Marion Delpuech, Emilie Charton, Amelie Anota & Veronique Christophe

  4. Service d’Onco-Hématologie, Hôpital Saint Vincent de Paul, GHICL, Lille, France

    Benedicte Hivert & Sophie Dominguez

  5. Pôle d’oncologie médicale, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France

    Aurelien Carnot

  6. Service d’Oncologie, Centre Hospitalier de Dunkerque, Dunkerque, France

    Tatiana Ceban

  7. Department of Clinical Research and Innovation, Centre Léon Bérard, Lyon, France

    Emilie Charton & Amelie Anota

  8. The French National Platform Quality of Life and Cancer, Lyon, France

    Amelie Anota

  9. Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CRCL, UMR Mixte INSERM 1052-CNRS 5286, Lyon, France

    Veronique Christophe

  10. Service d’oncologie, Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes, Avenue Désandrouin – cs 50479, 59322, Valenciennes Cedex, France

    Anne-Sophie Baudry

  11. Pôle de soins de support et de médecine palliative, Centre Oscar Lambret, Lille, France

    Capucine Aelbrecht-Meurisse

Authors
  1. Anne-Sophie Baudry
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  2. Marion Delpuech
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Contributions

Conception and design: A.S.B., A.A., and V.C. Investigation: A.S.B., B.H., A.C., T.C., S.D., and C.A.M. Data analysis and interpretation: A.S.B., A.A., M.D., E.C., and V.C. Manuscript writing: A.S.B., A.A., M.D., E.C., and V.C. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Anne-Sophie Baudry.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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This study complied with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki and received the approval of the University Ethics Committee (2018–268-S59).

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Baudry, AS., Delpuech, M., Charton, E. et al. Association between emotional competence and risk of unmet supportive care needs in caregivers of cancer patients at the beginning of care. Support Care Cancer 32, 302 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08510-6

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