Family resilience of patients requiring long-term care: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Yi Kuang (Co-first Author), Meng Wang (Co-first Author), Nancy Xiaonan Yu, Shoumei Jia, Tingyu Guan, Xiangchun Zhang, Yuyi Zhang, Jun Lu* (Co-last Author), Anni Wang* (Co-last Author)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

56 Citations (Scopus)
232 Downloads (CityUHK Scholars)

Abstract

Background: Long-term care of patients with chronic illnesses is an important global public health issue, compromising the well-being of family members and the family functioning. Previous studies have examined the interactive experiences and processes of various systems in the families coping with long-term care stress; however, these studies have not been systematically reviewed and integrated.
Aims: This review aimed to synthesise the existing qualitative evidence on the experiences and processes of family resilience operate in families providing long-term care for patients with chronic illnesses and to provide suggestions for the development of interventions in future studies.
Materials & Methods: We searched databases including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, ProQuest and CNKI from their inception to March 2022. We used the JBI Critical Appraisal Tool for qualitative studies to evaluate the quality of the included studies was evaluated according to. We followed The Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research (ENTREQ) statement. The results were integrated using the thematic and content analysis method.
Results: Fourteen studies from eight countries covering 11 diseases reported on the experiences and coping processes of long-term care families. Based on McCubbin's Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation (FAAR), five analytical themes were synthesised: stressors (risk factors), family belief system, internal family coping strategies, external support and resilient adaptation indicators; the relationships between themes and subthemes were illustrated.
Discussion: This review synthesized qualitative evidence on the experiences and processes of family resilience operate in families providing long-term care. The results of this study found that the cognition and belief of family members regarding dilemmas have a two-way effect and act on the adaptation process of family members. In family adaptation, spirituality, hope, internal and external support are extremely important. In 14 studies, caregivers were from different countries with intercultural differences, but due to less reports on this content, it is difficult to compare the differences or impact that culture or ethnicity may have.
Conclusions: Family resilience plays an important role in coping with stressors associated with the long-term care of a loved one through family belief systems, internal support systems and external support systems. The development of family resilience-based interventions for long-term care families should consider the family as a whole and further construct a multidisciplinary, multilevel and multi-type social support network to enhance family resilience.
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4159-4175
JournalJournal of Clinical Nursing
Volume32
Issue number13-14
Online published28 Aug 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2023

Research Keywords

  • caregiver
  • chronic disease
  • Family resilience
  • long-term care
  • meta-synthesis
  • qualitative study
  • CAREGIVER BURDEN
  • DEMENTIA
  • STRESS
  • INTERVENTION
  • SPIRITUALITY
  • ADOLESCENTS
  • ADAPTATION
  • FRAMEWORK
  • MEMBERS
  • PEOPLE

Publisher's Copyright Statement

  • COPYRIGHT TERMS OF DEPOSITED POSTPRINT FILE: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Kuang, Y., Wang, M., Yu, N. X., Jia, S., Guan, T., Zhang, X., Zhang, Y., Lu, J., & Wang, A. (2023). Family resilience of patients requiring long-term care: A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 32(13-14), 4159-4175, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.16500.
  • This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.

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