Associations Between Guilt and Self‐Compassion Among Iranian Family Caregivers of Cancer Patients

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Abstract
Introduction: Family caregivers of cancer patients often face substantial psychological burdens, including feelings of guilt. Self‐compassion has been proposed as a protective factor, yet its relationship with caregiver guilt has not been well studied in Iran. This study aimed to examine the association between caregiver guilt and self‐compassion in family caregivers of cancer patients. Methods: This cross‐sectional study was conducted between October and December 2024 among 160 family caregivers of patients with cancer recruited from oncology‐related wards of three hospitals affiliated with Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Data were collected using the Caregiver Guilt Questionnaire (CGQ) and the Self‐Compassion Scale–Short Form (SCS‐SF). Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine bivariate associations. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to assess the independent association between self‐compassion and caregiver guilt after adjusting for demographic and caregiving characteristics, including age, sex, marital status, employment status, and daily caregiving hours. Results: The mean age of caregivers was 41.9 ± 10.0 years, and the majority were female (53.1%), married (73.1%), and provided more than 8 h of care daily (90.6%). The mean caregiver guilt score was 55.58 ± 8.58, while the mean self‐compassion score was 34.74 ± 6.93. Total self‐compassion was strongly and inversely correlated with caregiver guilt ( r = −0.71, 95% CI: −0.77 to −0.63, p < 0.001). In the adjusted multiple linear regression model, higher self‐compassion was independently associated with lower caregiver guilt ( B = −0.62, 95% CI: −0.73 to −0.46, p < 0.001). Female caregivers had higher guilt scores than male caregivers ( B = 4.16, 95% CI: 1.70 to 6.62, p = 0.001), while caregivers who were children of the patient had lower guilt scores than those who were parents ( B = −3.93, 95% CI: −6.96 to −0.89, p = 0.012). Caregivers providing more than 8 h of care daily had higher guilt scores than those providing 8 h or less ( B = 5.93, 95% CI: 2.31 to 9.55, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Among family caregivers of patients with cancer, higher self‐compassion was associated with lower caregiver guilt after controlling for demographic and caregiving characteristics. These findings highlight the potential value of caregiver support programs focusing on self‐compassion development. However, due to the cross‐sectional design, the findings should be interpreted as correlational rather than causal. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to determine whether enhancing self‐compassion can reduce caregiver guilt over time.

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