Sobrecarga de trabajo del cuidador informal de pacientes oncológicos ingresados en el Hospital Teodoro Maldonado Carbo, Guayaquil, año 2025.

Abstract

Caregiver overload is a common condition manifested through a wide range of symptoms, adversely affecting the physical, emotional, social, economic, and mental well-being of individuals who assume this role non-professionally. Objective: To determine the overload experienced by informal caregivers of cancer patients at the Teodoro Maldonado Carbo Hospital. Methodology: A descriptive, quantitative, prospective, and cross-sectional study. Population: Included 200 no professional caregivers of oncology patients. Technique: Survey. Instrument: Structured assessment tool comprising a set of items, corresponding to the Zarit Scale. Results: The predominant characteristics were caregivers aged 36 to 40 years (45%), women (58%), married (41%), with a secondary education level (50%), caregiving experience of 3 to 5 years (62%), self-employed (52%), being a child of the patient (45%). The evaluation of the impact of caregiving showed an alarming fact: six out of ten caregivers (60%) experienced intense overload, and it is strongly correlated with the presence of mental health disorders. Anxiety was the prevalent disorder, affecting a very high proportion of caregivers (72%). Depression also had a worrying incidence, diagnosed in more than half of the cases (52%). These high percentages underline the profound psychological impact that the caregiver role entails in this study group. Conclusion: According to the results of the Zarit Scale, an intense level of overload predominates among caregivers, evidencing ineffective coping strategies and a burden that exceeds their resources to manage it adequately.