Relationships between supportive needs, perceived peer support, and well-being among unpaid cancer caregivers in regional, rural, and remote areas of Queensland, Australia.

OBJECTIVES

To identify associations between supportive care needs, perceived peer support, and well-being among unpaid cancer caregivers (UCCs) in regional, rural and remote (RRR) Queensland, Australia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 202 adult UCCs for individuals with advanced cancer in RRR Queensland. Participants completed validated measures assessing unmet needs, perceived social support, psychological distress, caregiver burden, and spiritual need. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, Pearson correlations, multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

CNAT-C, MSPSS, DASS-20, and CDS mean (SD) scores were 1.95 (0.48), 4.63 (1.30), 1.65 (0.59), and 2.66 (0.62), respectively. Practical support was the highest unmet need (M=2.04, SD=0.61), followed by hospital facilities/services (M=1.99, SD=0.59) and healthcare staff (M=1.98, SD=0.59). Internal consistency was high across measures (α=0.806-0.924). Higher unmet needs and perceived peer support were associated with greater distress and poorer well-being (all p<.001). CNAT-C and MSPSS predicted DASS-20 (R2=.236); CNAT-C predicted CDS (R2=.251), whereas MSPSS was not significant. The SEM demonstrated good model fit.

SIGNIFICANCE OF

RESULTS

UCCs residing in RRR Queensland reported substantial unmet needs, especially for related to PS and healthcare services. Greater unmet needs were associated with poorer caregiver well-being. The positive association between perceived social support and distress suggests support may be mobilized in response to heightened caregiver strain and highlights the importance of considering the appropriateness and quality of support, alongside availability, for caregivers in RRR settings.