Spirituality and Resilience among Family Caregivers of Survivors of Stroke: A Scoping Review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the leading cause of disability in Australia and the third-leading cause of disability worldwide and a significant burden on caregivers. OBJECTIVE: To map the extent, range and nature of the literature investigating spirituality and resilience among family caregivers of survivors of stroke. METHOD: A scoping review. RESULTS: Six studies were identified, conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, China and Turkey. These included two quantitative, one experimental and three qualitative designs. No studies linked spirituality to resilience. For the qualitative studies, spirituality was the primary focus of one, and the secondary focus of two others. Qualitative data reflected the lived experience of caregivers drawing upon spirituality to help cope with the burden of caregiving. For the two quantitative studies, spirituality was measured as a secondary focus and showed no significant links between spirituality or adjustment in caregivers. The one experimental study comprised a psycho-educational intervention focused on building resilience, finding a significant increase in social support not reflected in a matched control group. Clinical implications suggested the need for strength-based interventions, including spiritual needs and religious beliefs of the family caregiver. CONCLUSIONS: Spirituality and resilience following stroke are essential factors in caregiver adjustment following stroke. Further research with a focus on causality and the link between spirituality, resilience and adjustment in this population is needed.