Exploring the Effects of Specific Psychosocial Variables upon Caregiver Medical Adherence for Chronically Ill Hematologic Pediatric Patients

Date of Submission

2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, ABPP

First Advisor

Barbara Golden PsyD, ABPP

Second Advisor

Stephanie Felgoise, PhD, ABPP

Third Advisor

Rafat Ahmad, MD

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of burden of illness, distress, illness perception, and beliefs in medication on medical adherence on caregivers for pediatric hematologic patients. A total of 75 caregivers from local pediatric hematology clinics and various social media platforms, including Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and Smart Patients, were recruited. They completed online surveys, consisting of the Morisky Green Levine Scale, Zarit Burden Interview, Caregiver Mental Health Assessment, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire-General, and a self-constructed demographics questionnaire. Results of this study suggested that significant relationships (p < .001) exist between medical adherence and burden of illness, distress, and illness perception. However, only caregiver burden of illness was found to possess predictive strength for medically adherent behaviors (p < .001). In regard to caregiver beliefs in medicine, a significant relationship with medical adherence was not observed (p = .839). Overall, these findings suggest the importance of further research on this caregiver population. Specific attention must be given to the creation of caregiver-focused screening tools and behavioral health interventions addressing the various factors observed to impede medically adherent behaviors.

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