Interventions to Promote Positive Mental Health in Family Caregivers: a Systematic Review.
Sandra Marisa Barbosa de Alpuim-Gonçalves, Vânia Lídia da Silva Soares, Ana Isabel Fernandes Querido and 2 others
PMID 42561268WHAT IT FOUND
Some nurse-led caregiver education, counselling, app, phone and home-visit programs were reported to improve mental health, health-information skills or reduce anxiety, but effects varied and burden results were inconsistent.
Key findings
01Seven original studies were included, and most interventions were conducted by nurses.
02Included studies reported improvements in positive mental health, health literacy, anxiety and depression, but one study found no significant effect on caregiver burden.
03The review did not show a consistent effect on caregiver burden, and intervention differences made results hard to compare.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The seven included studies used different programs, durations and outcomes, so their results cannot be compared directly or generalized to all caregivers. Long-term evidence was scarce, so durability of mental-health gains was uncertain. One included study was rated low quality, and two quality criteria were not met by any study. The review excluded qualitative research and studies with poorly described methods, which may have omitted relevant experiences or context. One article outside the search period was included exceptionally.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that caregiver mental-health programs are proven to work for every caregiver. The review included seven studies with different programs and outcomes; some showed improvements, while one found no significant effect on burden, and the authors said differences made comparison difficult.