Aims: As cancer care is being increasingly delivered in outpatient clinics, demands on family caregivers are intensifying. While some caregivers will rise to the demands, others will report numerous challenges and unmet needs, which have a detrimental impact on caregiver well-being. The current study aimed to examine whether self-efficacy, the belief in one’s ability to succeed and accomplish tasks, influences the relationship between challenges and unmet needs with emotional distress.
Methods: An online survey of 89 men who were caring/had cared for a woman with breast cancer was conducted. Participants completed measures of cancer-related challenges, caregivers unmet needs, self-efficacy and emotional distress.
Results: Overall, participants reported low levels of emotional distress (M = 6.92, SD = 8.90, range = 0-37) and high levels of self-efficacy (M = 39.37, SD = 6.76, range = 16-48). Self-efficacy was significantly correlated with cancer-related challenges (r = -.54, p<.001), unmet needs (r = -.49, p< .001), and emotional distress (r = -.36, p < .01). Mediation analysis revealed that cancer-related challenges significantly predicted emotional distress, however this relationship was not mediated by self-efficacy (b = -.002, 95% CI -.25 - .25). In contrast, the relationship between unmet needs and emotional distress was mediated by self-efficacy (b = .05, 95% CI .01 - .10).
Conclusions: Self-efficacy is related to emotional well-being in men caring for women with breast cancer and mediates the association between unmet needs and emotional distress. Caregiver support interventions designed to enhance self-efficacy may help to reduce distress in male caregivers.