Effect of grief counseling on psychological distress and negative emotions among family members of patients with terminal tumors

Table 1 Comparison of general socio-demographic information of subjects in the two groups, n (%)

Items	Control group (n = 40)	Intervention group (n = 41)	χ2/t	P value
Gender
Male	14 (35.0)	6 (39.0)	0.141	0.708
Female	26 (65.0)	25 (61.0)
Age (mean ± SD)	49.93 ± 11.14	49.17 ± 10.53	0.313	0.755
Marital status
Unmarried	4 (10.0)	3 (7.3)	0.748	0.862
Married	30 (75.0)	29 (70.7)
Divorced	4 (10.0)	6 (14.7)
Widowed	2 (5.0)	3 (7.3)
Education level
Junior high school and below	15 (37.5)	15 (36.6)	1.226	0.874
High school and university	22 (55.0)	22 (53.7)
Postgraduate	3 (7.5)	4 (9.7)
Religious belief
Yes	4 (10.0)	7 (17.1)	0.863	0.353
No	36 (90.0)	34 (82.9)
Monthly per capita household income (yuan)
< 1000	11 (27.5)	15 (36.6)	0.770	0.681
1000-3000	21 (52.5)	19 (46.3)
> 3000	8 (20.0)	7 (17.1)
Relationship with patients
Parents	9 (22.5)	7 (17.1)	1.053	0.902
Spouses	11 (27.5)	9 (22.0)
Children	15 (37.5)	18 (43.8)
Other	5 (12.5)	7 (17.1)
Occupational status
Employed	14 (35.0)	12 (29.3)	0.305	0.581
Workless	26 (65.0)	29 (70.7)

Table 2 Comparison of clinical disease information of patients cared for by subjects in the two groups, n (%)

Items	Control group (n = 40)	Intervention group (n = 41)	χ2/t	P value
Cancer category
Lung cancer	11 (27.5)	10 (24.4)	0.783	0.941
Breast cancer	9 (22.5)	12 (29.3)
Digestive tract cancer	10 (25.0)	9 (21.9)
Gynecologic cancer	7 (17.5)	8 (19.5)
Other	3 (7.5)	2 (4.9)
Cancer stages
Stage I	6 (15.0)	7 (17.1)	0.307	0.857
Stage II	21 (52.5)	19 (46.3)
Stage III	13 (32.5)	15 (36.6)
Transfer or not
Yes	13 (32.5)	15 (36.6)	0.149	0.699
No	27 (67.5)	26 (63.4)
KPS score
60-70	4 (10.0)	6 (14.6)	1.303	0.728
70-80	17 (42.5)	15 (36.6)
80-90	14 (35.0)	17 (41.5)
90-100	5 (12.5)	3 (7.3)

KPS: Karnofsky Performance Status.

Table 3 Comparison of the Distress Thermometer degree grading between the two groups of subjects before the intervention, n (%)

Grade	Control group (n = 40)	Intervention group (n = 41)	Z	P value
Moderate	24 (60.0)	21 (51.2)	-0.790	0.429
Severe	13 (32.5)	16 (39.0)
Extremely severe	3 (7.5)	4 (9.8)

Table 4 Comparison of the Distress Thermometer degree grading between the two groups of subjects after the intervention, n (%)

Grade	Control group (n = 40)	Intervention group (n = 41)	Z	P value
Mild	3 (7.5)	9 (22.0)	-2.492	0.013
Moderate	17 (42.5)	22 (53.6)
Severe	18 (45.0)	8 (19.5)
Extremely severe	2 (5.0)	2 (4.9)

Table 5 Comparison of Distress Thermometer scores between the two groups before and after the intervention, mean ± SD

	Control group (n = 40)	Intervention group (n = 41)	t	P value
Pre-DT	6.15 ± 1.82	6.27 ± 1.88	-0.287	0.775
Post-DT	6.08 ± 1.86	5.05 ± 1.95	2.424	0.018
t	0.270	6.782
P value	0.789	< 0.001

DT: Distress Thermometer.

Table 6 Comparison of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 scores between the two groups of subjects before and after the intervention, mean ± SD

		Pre-DASS-21	Post-DASS-21	t	P value
Depression	Control group (n = 40)	13.02 ± 1.76	10.10 ± 1.83	-0.516	0.609
	Intervention group (n =41)	12.98 ± 1.71	8.05 ± 1.73	-4.351	< 0.001
	t	-0.125	-5.300
	P value	0.901	< 0.001
Anxiety	Control group (n = 40)	14.07 ± 1.75	9.05 ± 2.39	-0.429	0.670
	Intervention group (n = 41)	14.05 ± 1.70	7.02 ± 1.85	-3.602	0.034
	t	-0.067	-4.379
	P value	0.947	< 0.001
Stress	Control group (n = 40)	17.14 ± 1.56	14.02 ± 1.89	-0.781	0.618
	Intervention group (n = 41)	17.05 ± 1.63	12.40 ± 2.20	-2.503	0.028
	t	-0.279	-3.659
	P value	0.781	< 0.001

DASS-21: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21.