Truth-Telling to Palliative Care Patients from the Relatives' Point of View: A Türkiye Sample.

Aim: This study aimed to explore the attitudes of family caregivers toward truth-telling practices in palliative care in Türkiye, a Muslim-majority context where disclosure is often mediated by relatives.

Methods

Using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, data were collected from 100 unpaid family caregivers of terminally ill patients at a palliative care unit. Quantitative data were gathered via a structured questionnaire, and qualitative data through in-depth interviews with a purposively selected subsample of 10 participants. Chi-square tests were used to analyze associations, and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The mean age of caregivers was 47.4 ± 16.5 years, 67% were female. Notably, 67% of participants did not prefer that the patient be informed of irreversible deterioration, while 71% stated they would want to be informed if they were in the patient's position (p < 0.05). Most preferred a multidisciplinary disclosure process involving physicians, psychologists, and spiritual counselors. Qualitative analysis revealed four themes: emotional conflict, protective family-centered decision-making, spiritual readiness for death, and preference for multidisciplinary communication approach. The participants expressed cultural concerns about psychological harm to the patient and emphasized the family's role as emotional guardians.

Conclusions

The findings highlight a gap between caregivers' attitudes when acting as family members versus imagining themselves as patients. These results underscore the critical need for culturally sensitive and family-inclusive communication strategies in palliative care settings.