Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

The impact of caring for family members with mental illnesses on the caregiver: a scoping review.

Phillips, Rita; Durkin, Mark; Engward, Hilary; Cable, Graham; Iancu, Maria

Authors

Rita Phillips

Mark Durkin

Hilary Engward

Graham Cable

Maria Iancu



Abstract

A large amount of multidisciplinary, qualitative and quantitative research suggests that providing care for family members with mental health illnesses can have both positive and negative effects on the carers' wellbeing. However, to date a comprehensive overview and synthesis of literature that compares and contrasts positive and negative effects of family-caregiving on the carer is missing. To address this gap, this scoping review examines the effects of family-caregiving on carers' wellbeing. A Boolean search generated a total of 92 relevant articles that were included in the analysis. The results suggest that, to understand the effects of family-caregiving on the carer's mental and physical wellbeing, it is necessary to take a combination of situational and sociodemographic characteristics into consideration. Elderly, female, spousal-carers and primary-carers may be a group that is at risk of suffering from a lack of positive mental and physical wellbeing as a result of caring. However, the negative effects of caregiving can be balanced by extraversion, social support, and religious or spiritual beliefs. Therefore, future interventions that aim to promote family caregivers' wellbeing may need to take personality, particular circumstances, and cultural and personal beliefs into consideration.

Citation

PHILLIPS, R., DURKIN, M., ENGWARD, H., CABLE, G. and IANCU, M. 2023. The impact of caring for family members with mental illnesses on the caregiver: a scoping review. Health promotion international [online], 38(3), daac049. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac049

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Apr 26, 2022
Online Publication Date Apr 26, 2022
Publication Date Jun 30, 2023
Deposit Date Jun 14, 2022
Publicly Available Date Jul 6, 2022
Journal Health promotion international
Print ISSN 0957-4824
Electronic ISSN 1460-2245
Publisher Oxford University Press
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 38
Issue 3
Article Number daac049
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daac049
Keywords Family carers; Family caregiving; Carers; Caregiving; Mental health; Wellbeing; Patients with mental illness
Public URL https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/1650057

Files





You might also like



Downloadable Citations