The impact of WeChat online education and care on the mental distress of caregivers and satisfaction of elderly postoperative colorectal cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: WeChat-based nursing interventions alleviate mental distress. This study intended to investigate the effect of WeChat online education and care (WOEC) on the mental health of caregivers and the satisfaction of elderly postoperative colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

METHODS: In total, 92 elderly postoperative CRC patients and 92 caregivers were randomly separated into the WOEC group (46 patients and 46 caregivers) and the control care group (46 patients and 46 caregivers). Caregivers received corresponding intervention for 8 weeks. Beck depression inventory (BDI) and beck anxiety inventory (BAI) of caregivers, and self-report satisfaction (SRS) of patients were assessed.

RESULTS: In caregivers, BDI scores at 8 weeks after enrollment (W8) (P=0.024) and BAI score at W8 (P=0.009), depression severity at W8 (P=0.036), as well as anxiety severity at 4 weeks after enrollment (W4) (P=0.028) and W8 (P=0.047) were declined in the WOEC group versus the control care group. Regarding patients, SRS scores at W4 (P=0.044) and W8 (P=0.025), the satisfaction degree at W4 (P=0.033) and W8 (P=0.034), as well as the satisfied and very satisfied rates at W4 (P=0.031) and W8 (P=0.029) were elevated in the WOEC group versus the control care group. By subgroup analyses, WOEC exhibited favorable effects on reducing mental stress in caregivers of patients with eastern cooperative oncology group performance status at enrollment <3, and in caregivers with an education level of high school & university and above.

CONCLUSION: WOEC effectively relieves mental stress in caregivers of elderly postoperative CRC patients, and also elevates satisfaction in these patients.