Effectiveness of interventions to decrease the physical and mental burden and strain of informal caregivers of stroke patients: A systematic review

Abstract

Informal caregivers (IC) play a crucial role in the care for post stroke patients. As this care radically changes IC’s lives, it is necessary to decrease the risk of caregiver burden and strain through specific programs that provide support. The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of interventions on the burden and strain of IC of stroke patients. In total, 12 clinical trials were included, with a large variability in interventions and characteristics of the patients and their IC. Although the interventions had a positive effect in some studies, it is still not clear what type of intervention could decrease the burden and strain of the IC of stroke patients.