Positive experiences of caregiving in stroke: a systematic review

Abstract

• There is some evidence that caregivers are able to identify what they value providing a more positive and balanced view of caregiving experiences other than just negative aspects.• Positive aspects of coping are associated with positive experiences. Offering training to caregivers of a cognitive and behavioural nature, which includes a focus on positive experiences, may be beneficial and needs further consideration.• The diversity of caregivers' experiences – both positive and negative – should be taken into account by clinicians when supporting them]

Exploring Health Care Providers’ Perceptions of the Needs of Stroke Carers: Informing Development of an Optimal Health Program

“…A systematic review revealed that carers reported positive experiences including increased self-esteem and feeling appreciated. 31 One possibility is that participants did not perceive "positives" or assumed the study focus was challenges, despite the neutral focus group questions (eg, "What are your thoughts about the role of the carer ? ").…”

What Makes Family Caregivers Happy During the First 2 Years Post Stroke?

“…Findings across studies suggest caregivers report more positive outcomes when they see the stroke survivor making progress in their recovery, have improved relationships, feel appreciated, use positive coping strategies, and see improvements in their own self-esteem. 8 The review concluded by suggesting that more research on the positive outcomes of stroke caregiving was needed and that these studies should use longitudinal Background and Purpose-This study aimed to identify aspects of the caregiving situation contributing to family caregivers' psychological well-being. Methods-Longitudinal cohort study with structured quantitative interviews 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post stroke.…”

“…6,7 More recent research recognizes that not all caregiving is a negative or stressful experience and some aspects can be beneficial and have a positive effect on caregiver psychological well-being. 8,9 Psychological well-being has been distinguished from emotional distress (eg, depression) and burden as it commonly denotes happiness, life satisfaction, and positive affect. [10][11][12] The general aging literature has identified potential contributors to caregiver psychological well-being, including personal growth, because of providing care, 13,14 caregiving satisfaction, 15 and positive feelings about caregiving.…”

“Self-Employed” in Caregivinghood: The Contribution of Swedish Informal Caregivers’ Environmental and Contextual Resistance Resources and Deficits

“…Among caregivers to older adults the most studied population has been caregivers to cognitively impaired care recipients, although other conditions have attracted increasing interest, such as cancer [47][48][49], stroke [2,45,[50][51][52][53][54], home-based dialysis [55], heart failure [56], multiple sclerosis [57][58][59], dementia [60], and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) [61]. Caregiving research has also emerged from new geographical areas, including Japan [36,62,63], Taiwan [64], China [48,55], and so-called developing countries [65][66][67].…”

“…To meet these particular challenges, knowledge regarding the duality of caregiving, positive as well as negative outcomes, is essential. A paradigm shift emphasizing this duality is emerging within caregiving research, but progress towards a more balanced picture is slow [2]. Far less knowledge exists about the resources caregivers use to resolve challenges they encounter during caregiving, than knowledge about negative health outcomes associated with not being able to resolve them.…”