Article

AIM: To identify factors reported with negative and positive outcomes for
caregivers of the traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury cohorts, to
investigate what interventions have been studied to support carers and to report
what effectiveness has been found. METHODS: Scoping systematic review. Electronic
databases and websites were searched from 1990 to December 2015. Studies were
agreed for inclusion using pre-defined criteria. Relevant information from
included studies was extracted and quality assessment was completed. Data were
synthesised using qualitative methods. RESULTS:
A total of 62 studies reported
caregiver outcomes for the traumatic brain injury cohort; 51 reported negative
outcomes and 11 reported positive outcomes. For the spinal cord injury cohort, 18
studies reported caregiver outcomes; 15 reported negative outcomes and three
reported positive outcomes. Burden of care was over-represented in the literature
for both cohorts, with few studies looking at factors associated with positive
outcomes. Good family functioning, coping skills and social support were reported
to mediate caregiver burden and promote positive outcomes. A total of 21 studies
further described interventions to support traumatic brain injury caregivers and
four described interventions to support spinal cord injury caregivers, with
emerging evidence for the effectiveness of problem-solving training. Further
research is required to explore the effects of injury severity of the care
recipient, as well as caregiver age, on the outcome of the interventions.
CONCLUSION: Most studies reported negative outcomes, suggesting that barriers to
caregiving have been established, but not facilitators. The interventions
described to support carers are limited and require further testing to confirm their effectiveness.

Langue : ANGLAIS