THE MODERATING ROLE OF SELF-COMPASSION IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREGIVER BURDEN AND DEPRESSION AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH CANCER

The increase in the cost of cancer treatment in Iran and the growth of single-child families have placed parents under more pressure than ever to take care of their child with cancer, which, among other traumas, increases the risk of depression. Increasing the level of compassion, given its protective role against psychological harm, can be beneficial in maintaining the mental health of the parents of these children. This study aims to determine the relationship between caregiving burden and depression in parents of children with cancer, focusing on the moderating role of self-compassion.

This research was descriptive-correlational, and the statistical population includes parents of children with cancer under 18 years of age. Three hundred seventy-six parents from Mahak, Bahrami, Mofid, and Milad hospitals participated in the study using the convenient sampling method. Participants were asked to respond to the Novak and Guest Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI), Beck depression short form (BDI-II), and self-compassion short form. The data were analyzed using SPSS- and Smart PLS-3 software. The relationships between variables were evaluated using Pearson's correlation test and the research model was evaluated using the structural equation technique with the partial least squares (PLS) method.

It was confirmed that caregiving burden has an effect on depression (p < 0.05), and self-compassion also has an impact on depression (p < 0.05) in the parents of the children with cancer. A significant relationship was found between caregiving burden and self-compassion (p<0.05). Furthermore, the study revealed that self-compassion mediates the relationship between caregiving and depression, with a mediating effect of -0.122 and a negative direction (p < 0.05). This indicates that self-compassion can play a role in reducing the impact of caregiving burden on depression.

It can be concluded that self-compassion reduces depressive symptoms by helping parents better perceive the care of a child with cancer. Therefore, incorporating psychotherapy-based self-compassion in cancer treatment centers can effectively reduce the caregiving burden and depression in parents of children with cancer.