Supportive group for caregivers of bone marrow transplantation recipients: a contribution to group praxis

Abstract

The patient who will go through a BMT stays in a ward where, besides special care, he needs a full-time caregiver. The diagnosis impact and the decision to have the transplantation done have already weighted, and weighted a lot on this person and now he has to cope with all the responsibility that comes on him. Aiming to relief the caregiver anguish unchained by the BMT process, a psychological supportive group was established, at BMT Unit at Hospital das Clínicas, in Ribeirão Preto (Brazil). In order to describe the group process and check its effects on caregivers, the present study was carried out. The corpus was formed by 40 sessions, developed in a period of six months and having 17 participants. These sessions were transcribed and analyzed in a qualitative approach. Further, a thematic content analysis was applied to the oral report segments. The material was submitted to two, independently, judge evaluation. The results show effectiveness of the group as a psychological support resource, once the group allows caregivers to share their emotions with people who go through similar situation and at the same time they feel understood and supported by the professional staff.