Couples coping in the community after the stroke of a spouse: A scoping review

Abstract

Aim To summarize evidence on the poststroke coping experiences of stroke patients and spousal caregivers living at home in the community. Design A scoping review. Methods Extensive searches were conducted in credible databases. Articles published in the English language were retrieved. Data were extracted based on study location, aims, study design, sample size, time after stroke and key findings. Results Out of 53 identified articles, 17 studies were included in the review. Five key themes were as follows: (a) emotional challenges; (b) role conflicts; (c) lack of strategies in coping; (d) decreased life satisfaction of the couples; and (e) marriage relationship: at a point of change. Couples were not sufficiently prepared to cope and manage with stroke at home on discharge from the hospital. This review emphasized the need for hospitals to implement policies to address the inadequate preparation of couples in coping with stroke.

Feasibility of the Hand in Hand Relationship Intervention for Stroke Survivor–Caregiver Dyads: A Randomized Trial

“…Research is increasingly focusing on the relational aspects of recovery after stroke including the extent to which dyad members are congruent (or incongruent) in their appraisal of symptoms, how they communicate about their experiences and needs, and how they engage together in behaviors that promote physical and emotional health (Lyons & Lee, 2018; McCarthy et al, 2018; McCarthy & Lyons, 2015; Pucciarelli et al, 2017; Ramazanu et al, 2020). Relationship functioning itself has been strongly linked to depressive symptoms in both members of the dyad, with survivors and caregivers who report a strong relationship with their partner reporting fewer depressive symptoms (Epstein-Lubow et al, 2009; King et al, 2001; King et al, 2010; McCarthy et al, 2012; McPherson et al, 2011).…”

Disability as an Interpersonal Experience: A Systematic Review on Dyadic Challenges and Dyadic Coping When One Partner Has a Chronic Physical or Sensory Impairment

“…Two included articles were reviews. One review summarized evidence on couples coping with stroke in the community (Ramazanu et al, 2020 ), and the other review focused on the consequences of sensory loss for couples' well-being (Lehane et al, 2017a ). Overlap between included studies with the current review was evident for five studies (see Table 1 ).…”

“…The majority of partners in Engblom-Deglmann and Hamilton ( 2020 ) study talked about the “transition from lover 1 day to caregiver the next day” being very difficult. A seeming incompatibility of the romantic partner and caregiver roles was evident across health impairments, e.g., in couples coping with stroke (Quinn et al, 2014 ; McCarthy and Bauer, 2015 ; Ramazanu et al, 2020 ), TBI (Bodley-Scott and Riley, 2015 ), and PD (Martin, 2016 ). Some couples described that their relationships had, to a varying degree, adopted the dynamics of a parent–child relationship (Dickson et al, 2010 ; Quinn et al, 2014 ).…”

“…The relationship impact of physical or sensory impairments identified across all the reviewed studies was substantial. This was evident, for instance, in one of the five themes identified by Ramazanu et al (2020) review about couples coping with stroke: Marital relationships were found to be "at a point of change" (p. 479) in the majority of couples. Similarly, Smith and Shaw (2017) paraphrased their participants' experience of PD as "learning to live in a new way" (p. 16)-not only for the patient, but for the couple as a unit.…”

Dyadic appraisals, dyadic coping, and mental health among couples coping with stroke: A longitudinal study protocol

“…SS often have sequelae, such as dysfunction, compared with other chronic diseases. Stroke brings great challenges for both survivors and their spouse caregivers (SC), but most of them are not prepared to cope with it (Ramazanu, Loke, & Chiang, 2019).…”