Background:

Informal caregivers are usually family members, which lead to dependence of the patient on the caregiver. This may result in disturbances to the caregivers' quality of life. Address the negative effects of informal caregiving, several types of interventions have been reported to be effective in reducing medical visits by both informal caregivers and the patients in their care

Aim:

Examine the effectiveness of existing nursing interventions designed to reduce the overload of the informal caregiver of people with chronic illness.

Methodology:

Design:

Systematic review

Data Sources:

Databases including Pubmed (MEDLINE), Embase, The Cochrane Library and CINAHL were searched using keywords about nursing interventions in family caregivers. Articles published between 2014-2019 were retrieved and underwent data analysis and knowledge synthesis.

Review method:

Two reviewers independently selected studies. Quality appraisal was based on PRISMA statements appraisal checklist. Synthesis was narrative.

Results:

Ninety-five studies were examined in their entirety, with seventy-seven being discarded as not providing results or not related to reducing overload. The final count of articles included in this review was eighteen which were all randomised clinical trials. Seven were categorized as technology-based interventions; two as self-help manuals; one as a physical activity-based intervention; and eight as group or individual psychoeducational therapy.

Conclusions:

Analysis of the different studies shows effectiveness in reducing symptoms such as stress, anxiety, depression or even unmet needs. The interventions that were found to be most effective in reducing caregiver overload were home care visits and psychoeducational interventions, both individual and group.

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