Psychosocial Intervention for Family Caregivers of ALS Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Proposal: This systematic review aims to comprehensively examine all existing knowledge on psychosocial interventions for family caregivers for ALS patients. Also, the study will present the gaps in knowledge, recommendations for future research, and guidelines for psychosocial interventions that are focused and adapted to the needs of family caregivers of ALS patients. Materials and methods: The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and identified studies on psychosocial intervention for family caregivers of ALS patients, using five electronic databases: PsychNET, PubMed, EBSCO, PRIMO, and PROQUEST. Seven articles met the criteria and were included in the review. A thematic analysis was conducted to extract major themes. Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) Personal benefits; (2) Interpersonal benefits; and (3) Charting challenges and pathways to improve psychosocial interventions. Conclusions: Based on the findings, practical guidelines were formulated that focus on the group’s composition, the facilitator’s role, the contents, the relationships within the group, and the opportunities and limitations of online interventions.

Keywords

• amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• ALS
• family caregivers
• psychosocial intervention
• support program
• systematic review