Table 3.
Predictors of psychological distress (univariate analyses)
| Variables | DT |
GHQ-12, | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M (SD) | P | M (SD) | P | |
| Sex | .034 | .166 | ||
| Male | 4.3 (2.2) | 14.2 (5.5) | ||
| Female | 5.4 (2.6) | 16.0 (6.3) | ||
| Age | r = −0.23 | .013 | r = − 0.01 | .947 |
| Relationship | .94 | .139 | ||
| Partner | 5.1 (2.6) | 15.9 (6.4) | ||
| Other | 5.2 (2.5) | 13.7 (4.4) | ||
| Education level | .93 | .725 | ||
| ≤12 years | 5.1 (2.4) | 15.6 (6.1) | ||
| >12 years | 5.1 (2.6) | 15.2 (6.3) | ||
| Other dependents living at home | .32 | .645 | ||
| Yes | 5.7 (2.7) | 14.8 (5.1) | ||
| No | 5.0 (2.5) | 15.6 (6.3) | ||
| Drop in employment status | .27 | .078 | ||
| Yes | 5.5 (2.9) | 16.9 (7.3) | ||
| No | 4.9 (2.4) | 14.7 (5.3) | ||
| Financial effect of caring significant | <.001 | .091 | ||
| Yes | 6.2 (2.5) | 16.7 (6.2) | ||
| No | 4.4 (2.3) | 14.7 (6.1) | ||
| Time since diagnosis | .011 | <.001 | ||
| ≤1 month | 6.5 (2.3)a | 19.7 (6.8)a | ||
| 1–2 months | 4.7 (2.5)b | 13.7 (5.6)b | ||
| >2 months | 4.9 (2.6)b | 15.1 (5.3)b | ||
| Confidence in caring | r = −0.03 | .79 | r = −0.28 | .002 |
| Preparedness to care | r = −0.07 | .47 | r = −0.30 | .001 |
| Needed to learn new skills | .33 | .295 | ||
| Yes | 5.4 (2.7) | 16.2 (6.6) | ||
| No | 5.0 (2.5) | 15.0 (5.9) | ||
a,bTukey pairwise comparisons, means with different letters differ significantly; means with the same letter do not differ significantly. DT, Distress Thermometer; GHQ12, General Health Questionnaire; M, mean; SD, standard deviation.