Self-efficacy in caregivers of adults diagnosed with cancer: An integrative review.
Megan C Thomas Hebdon, Lorinda A Coombs, Pamela Reed and 2 others
PMID 33799022WHAT IT FOUND
Cancer caregivers who felt confident managing medications, symptoms, and communication often reported less distress and better quality of life.
Some education did not improve confidence, so nurses should help caregivers practice caregiving tasks and give specific encouragement.
Key findings
01Caregiver self-efficacy was significantly associated with better mental and emotional health, quality of life, coping, and physical health.
02Self-efficacy improved in several caregiver interventions, including problem-solving, training before discharge, home education, and marital communication, but not in informational or psychoeducational studies.
03Self-efficacy was measured with Twenty-one instruments, and 49 of 66 studies used situation-specific measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included only English-language studies, so it may miss relevant research from other languages and populations. The findings cannot be generalized beyond caregivers of adults with cancer. The included studies varied widely in design, outcome, and measurement, so the review does not identify one reliable way to assess caregiver self-efficacy. Only one grounded theory qualitative study directly addressed self-efficacy, so caregivers' own descriptions were limited. Caregiver samples were mostly female, White, spousal, and middle-aged, and no study specifically focused on sexual and gender minority caregivers. Many studies were dyadic, but this review analyzed only caregiver-specific self-efficacy findings. The review combines observational associations and mixed intervention results, so it does not prove that raising self-efficacy causes better patient or caregiver outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that caregiver self-efficacy causes better patient or caregiver outcomes. The review mostly reports associations and mixed intervention results, and some informational or psychoeducational interventions did not significantly improve self-efficacy.