Experiential Avoidance and Protective Factors Among Caregivers of Children with Medical Complexity: An Exploratory Investigation

Abstract

Children with medical complexity (CMC) have more than one intensive medical need or chronic illness. Primary caregivers of CMC experience consistent stress related to social isolation, financial strain, and high caregiving burden, often producing emotional distress (ED). This exploratory analysis aims to investigate the relationship between resilience and self-compassion, emotional distress (depression and anxiety) and experiential avoidance. It is hypothesized that experiential avoidance will have significant negative correlations with self-compassion and resilience. Online surveys were administered to twenty caregivers of CMC served by a pediatric Complex Care Program (CCP) in the Midwest. Caregivers were primarily female (95%), White (85%), non-Hispanic (80%). Caregivers completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Self Compassion Scale-Youth, the 4-item forms of the Emotional Distress-Depression and Emotional Distress-Anxiety surveys from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), and the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ). Data will be analyzed with descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations using Pearson’s R.