The burdens, coping strategies, and unmet needs of family caregivers of Chinese patients with lymphoma receiving commercial CAR-T-cell therapy: A qualitative study

This study aimed to describe levels of social support and explore the factors predictive of social support for Chinese family caregivers of patients with dementia. Social support levels and their predictive factors in Chinese dementia caregivers have not been well documented, which need to be further clarified to provide a basis for creating effective social support strategies. This was a cross-sectional study with 91 participants who completed a demographic questionnaire and the Social Support Rating Scale from 2015 to 2016. Chinese family caregivers of patients with dementia received moderate social support. Caregivers' subjective support domain scores and support utilization domain scores were significantly lower than those of the normal Chinese population, whereas caregivers' total social support scores were higher than those of the normal Chinese population. Family caregivers' monthly household income, educational level and place of residence were predictors of their own social support. Social support in Chinese caregivers of patients with dementia needs to be improved, especially the subjective support and support utilization. Healthcare professionals should pay special attention to caregivers with a lower monthly household income and educational level and caregivers who lived in the suburban area.

BackgroundAnticipatory grief has been shown to be highly prevalent among family caregivers of patients with advanced illness. Qualitative study suggests that illness uncertainty may be one of the core characteristics of anticipatory grief, but it has not been confirmed in quantitative studies. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between anticipatory grief and illness uncertainty among Chinese family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer and to determine the factors influencing anticipatory grief.MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study used a convenience sampling method and recruited 254 inpatient family caregivers from the thoracic medicine ward of Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute in Shenyang, mainland China. Anticipatory grief (Anticipatory Grief Scale (AGS), illness uncertainty (Uncertainty in Illness Scale Family Caregiver Version) and sociodemographic information (Self-compiled general information questionnaire) were measured using validated self-report measures.ResultsChinese family caregivers of patients with advanced lung cancer had high levels of anticipatory grief (73.5 ± 16.1). The results of the correlation analysis showed a positive association between anticipatory grief and illness uncertainty (r = 0.580, P < 0.001). The final linear regression model with anticipatory grief as the dependent variable included four variables: illness uncertainty (β = 0.674, P < 0.001), lack of informativeness (β = − 0.168, P = 0.08), monthly income (β = 0.139, P = 0.006), and caregiving burden (β = − 0.196, P < 0.001).ConclusionsIllness uncertainty is probably an important factor affecting anticipatory grief. Excessive caregiving burden is associated with high levels of anticipatory grief. Improving illness uncertainty and caregiving burden may effectively reduce anticipatory grief among Chinese family caregivers.

Family caregivers, also known as informal caregivers, are critical for the home care of patients with urostomy. The present study aimed to investigate the benefits of family caregivers in China while taking care of patients with urostomy from a positive perspective. A qualitative research design was adopted, with a thematic analysis. The qualitative research software NVivo was used for data analysis. Twenty-two family caregivers of urostomy patients participated in an in-depth interview for 60-90 min.A qualitative analysis was performed using a thematic approach in accordance with the six-stage thematic analysis process reported by Braun and Clarke (2006). The following four benefits were identified: mastering knowledge and skills, promoting self-growth, establishing close family ties, and changing the way of life. Among these four themes, 11 sub-themes were constructed by coders. This study provides new insights into intervention measures for family caregivers of patients with urostomy, which could play an important role in developing the overall model of family-centered nursing.

Depressive symptoms are related to negative health outcomes in caregivers of patients with HF. Understanding the factors that are associated with depressive symptoms among caregivers is essential to providing appropriate interventions. Little is known about which status and factors are related to depressive symptoms among Chinese caregivers of patients with heart failure. This study aimed to investigate the status of depressive symptoms and to identify the factors that are associated with depressive symptoms in family caregivers of patients with heart failure in China.A cross-sectional design and a convenience sample were used. Participants (N = 134) from 1 hospital in Chengdu were recruited from June 2013 to June 2014. The following measurement tools were used in this study: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Coping Strategies Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and Zarit Burden Interview. A hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine which factors were associated with depressive symptoms.The results showed that 31% of the caregivers experienced depressive symptoms. The type of payment for treatment (b = −0.312, P < 0.01), readmissions within the last 3 months (b = 0.397, P < 0.01), duration of caregiving (b = −0.213, P < 0.05), caregiver burden (b = 0.299, P < 0.05), active coping (b = −0.235, P < 0.01), and negative coping (b = 0.245, P < 0.05) were related to caregivers’ depressive symptoms. Fifty-four percent of the variance in caregivers’ depressive symptoms was explained by these factors.The caregiver depressive symptoms in China were higher than those reported in studies that were conducted in Western countries. Caregiver depressive symptoms can be improved by providing support for new caregivers (with a caregiving duration of less than 1 year), reducing readmissions, easing caregiver burden, and promoting their coping strategies.

Background and Purpose: Family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer face many challenges when caring for them. The patients need not only the care of health professionals but also social support. Therefore, this study aimed to summarize the existing studies on social support for family caregivers of Alzheimer patients in a systematic review. Materials and Methods: In this review, the search was done in domestic (Magiran, SID) and foreign (Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, PubMed) databases as well as Google Scholar from 1990 to August 2021, according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews) statement. The Cochrane and STROBE checklists were used to evaluate the quality of the articles. Results: Out of 709 articles on social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients, 7 entered the final list. The number of family caregivers participating in these studies ranged from 81 to 648. The mean age of caregivers in all studies was over 50 years. The studies emphasized the importance of improving social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. Most study studies were conducted in America, which included all the interventional studies in this systematic review. In most studies, social support’s role in reducing family caregivers’ problems and promoting their satisfaction was important. Conclusion: Creating social networks and encouraging the use of these supports will be very helpful in reducing the problems of family caregivers of Alzheimer patients. More attention to health literacy is likely useful as a revelation of the need for social support in family caregivers of Alzheimer patients and the government.

Caregiver support and education tend to be separated into programs that address the needs of professional or formal caregivers or the needs of family or informal caregivers. The two groups are rarely seen as having a set of shared caregiver needs. This article describes a caregiver education program that includes both family and professional caregiver issues (also called generic issues) developed at the Rosalynn Carter Institute (RCI) for Human Development. HISTORY OF THE ROSALYNN CARTER INSTITUTE The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development was established on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in 1987 in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, an alumna of the university. The first board of directors of the Institute comprised nationally prominent professionals and community leaders who came to their assignment prepared to launch a national institute in support of Carter's long-standing commitments to human development and mental health issues. The goals of the initiative were to focus on the psychosocial difficulties and rewards associated with caregiving through the education, research, community programs, and advocacy functions of the new institute. When the staff and advisers of the RCI decided to focus on the shared needs of all caregivers, no one believed it would be an easy undertaking. First and foremost was the concern that if caregivers--whether family or professional--were suffering, the quality of the care they provided to others would also suffer (Nottingham & Nottingham, 1990). The Conceptual Basis of RCI Caregiver Education Six precepts of caregiver education and support are held together by one unifying belief espoused by Carter on behalf of all who work with her (Figure 1). Historians gauge the greatness of a society by the extent to which it cares for its people (Carter, 1990). In summary, the precepts include recognition of the need for socialization into the caregiver role; adequate, appropriate, and accessible caregiver education;acknowledgment of the interdependency of all people in a society; vigilance in monitoring public policy and associated advocacy actions; research and the generation of knowledge and skill for effective caregiving; and a unifying definition of caregiving across all groups, settings, and situations (Nottingham & Nottingham, 1990). THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM The RCI educational program Caring for You, Caring for Me (CFY, CFM) was developed from both a community needs assessment of the 16-county area in west central Georgia, and ongoing work of an advisory committee of the RCI to identify educational niches for the institute (Rosalynn Carter Institute for Human Development, 1995). The program that exists today has not strayed far from the original intent of its creators, although parts of the program have been updated as needed (Haigler, Mims, & Nottingham, 1998a, 1998b). CFY, CFM includes 10 hours of instruction conducted in five sessions or modules that can be delivered once a week over a five-week period. The recommended class size is 15 to 25 participants. Each session is approximately two hours and fifteen minutes in length, including time for a break. All aspects of the program are designed to bring professional and family caregivers together in a relaxed setting to discuss common issues, share ideas, and gain a better understanding of each other's perspectives of what it means to be a caregiver. Based on the experiences of RCI trainers, the ideal mix of professional to family caregivers is half and half. Over time, the program has been enhanced by the addition of content on resilience and the use of multimedia instruction. To date, approximately 300 leaders in seven states (California, Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Washington) have been trained by RCI staff to provide the program in their respective communities. …

Spiritual Coping in Family Caregivers of Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study

Family caregivers who provide care for cancer patients may have to cope with a variety of physical, social, and economic problems during the caregiving process. A sense of hopelessness seems to lead to increasingly negative evaluations of new situations and less effective coping strategies. The objective of the study was to examine the relationship between hopelessness and the coping strategies of the family caregivers of oncology patients. This cross-sectional, descriptive correlational design study was carried out in the adult oncology unit and outpatient radiation oncology units of a university hospital in Turkey. The research sample was composed of 110 family caregivers. A sociodemographic data form, the Coping Stress Strategies Scale, and the Beck Hopelessness Scale were used in face-to-face interviews. Significant correlations were found between hopelessness and coping strategies. There was a positive correlation between hopelessness and the helpless approaches, which constitute a part of the emotion-focused coping strategies (r = 0.254, P < .01). There was a negative correlation between hopelessness and problem-focused coping strategies (optimistic approach and seeking social support) (r = -0.484, P < .01; r = -0.190, P < .05). In our study, we found that when the hopes of family caregivers are raised, they may adopt a more optimistic approach, and seek more social support, and display more effective coping strategies. This study could be used to help develop nursing interventions and efficient coping strategies. It suggests how oncology nurses may support family caregivers to increase their level of hope.

ObjectivesThis study aims to investigate the relationship between anxiety levels and poor sleep quality among family caregivers of psychiatric patients, based on the history of sharp object injuries (SOI) inflicted...

The aim of this study was to explore the moderated mediation mechanism of the relationships among family function, self-efficacy, care hours per day, closeness and benefit finding in family caregivers of patients with stroke in China. Benefit finding can provide a new means of resolving depression among family members caring for an ill loved one. However, current research has paid little attention to the benefit finding of family caregivers of stroke patients in China. A cross-sectional study. Three hundred fifty family caregivers of patients with stroke were recruited from community service centres and hospitals in Zhengzhou, China. The participants completed the family APGAR index, caregiver benefit finding scale and Chinese general self-efficacy scale during a study conducted in 2017. Descriptive analyses and a moderated mediation model were computed. Reporting adhered to the STROBE checklist. A total of 311 family caregivers completed this study. Closeness between family caregivers and patients with stroke moderated the relationship between family function and caregiver benefit finding. Self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between family function and caregiver benefit finding; moreover, care hours per day moderated the mediation. This study shows important factors associated with benefit finding in family caregivers of patients with stroke. This indicates elements that could help improve benefit finding intervention programmes for family caregivers of patients with stroke. The findings in our study provide valuable information on benefit finding and indicate some interventions to improve the mental health of family caregivers of stroke patients.

This study tested the effectiveness of a schizophrenia care management program for family caregivers of Chinese patients with schizophrenia in Hong Kong. A multisite controlled trial was conducted with 92 patient-caregiver dyads. They were randomly assigned to either the schizophrenia care management program or to usual care. The patients' symptoms, functioning, and length of rehospitalization and their families' perceived social support, expressed emotion, and functioning were measured at recruitment and at one month and 15 months after the intervention. Compared with families in the usual care group, families in the schizophrenia care management program reported significantly greater improvements in families' and patients' functioning and caregivers' perceived social support and decreases in the number and length of patients' rehospitalization. The findings provide evidence that the multidisciplinary schizophrenia care program can improve the psychosocial functioning of patients and their families and social support of caregivers.

Centre conducting review Pace University Lienhard School of Nursing in collaboration with the New Jersey Centre for Evidence Based Nursing: A Collaborating Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Nursing, Newark, USA Review Objective The objective of this systematic review is to synthesize the best available research evidence on effectiveness of patient-caregiver dyad discharge learning need interventions on 30-day hospital readmissions of elderly patients (65 years or older) with community acquired pneumonia? Since the primary focus is on assessment of learning needs of the patient-caregiver dyad as central to interdisciplinary coordination of care and discharge planning, studies consistent with this primary focus will be included in the review. Studies that are beyond the scope of this review and will be excluded will be those that focus on the provision of pneumonia care during hospitalization and those in which discharge planning is focused on treatment modalities for pneumonia. Review Question What is the effectiveness of patient-caregiver dyad discharge learning needs interventions on 30-day community hospital readmissions for elderly patients (65 years or older) with community acquired pneumonia? Background Community acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most common cause of death from infection in the United States and leads to 1.7 million hospital admissions1,2 Among patients 65 years and older, CAP is one of the leading causes of mortality 3. Elderly patients with CAP, have a 12% mortality rate within thirty days post discharge4. Higher mortality rates among elderly patients are associated with premature discharges, inadequate teaching for the patient-caregiver dyad and hospital readmissions3,5. CAP is defined as a pneumonia not acquired in a hospital or a long term facility. CAP is diagnosed by pulmonary infiltrates seen on chest radiograph with clinical notation in medical record of “pneumonia” on admission to hospital.1,2,6. Re-admission of patients 65 years and older due to CAP is also associated with increased hospital expenditures 3,6. In the U.S., 42% of the national healthcare budget is spent on inpatient care, and readmissions account for one quarter of Medicare inpatient expenditure 7,8. In the U.S., hospital incentive payment plans are directly linked to thirty-day re-admissions rates for CAP and length of hospital stay 4. In 2007, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) estimated approximately 18 percent of hospital admissions result in readmissions within 30 days, costing the Center of Medicaid Services $15 billion9. In the U.S., readmission to hospital within thirty days following hospitalization for CAP is a process measure utilized by the Center for Medicare Services (CMS) to evaluate discharge planning outcomes. 6-8. In this review, unexpected readmission is defined as the subsequent emergency or unplanned admission of the discharged patient to any hospital setting within thirty days following hospitalization for CAP. Internationally, decreased length of hospital stays has intensified care in the hospital and shifted rehabilitation to the home environment. The need for discharge planning among elderly patients is becoming increasingly important as both the aging population and increased longevity affect the demand for inpatient hospital services. In the U.S., older adults are responsible for 38% of all hospital discharges 10. Strunk, Ginsburg & Banker 11 projected that by 2015, persons aged 65 and older will account for 14.5% of the American population and utilize 7.6% more inpatient resources. Among the elderly population, effective discharge planning that supports their social network can reduce hospital readmissions 12,13. In a systematic review of the literature, Archie & Boren 14 advanced that the hospital discharge process is poorly standardized and is characterized by discontinuity and fragmentation of care possibly associated with lack of coordination in the handoff from the hospital to community care, social support gaps, high rates of low health literacy, and poor delineation of discharge responsibilities among hospital staff. Coleman, Parry, Chalmers, & Min 15 reported communication deficits during the discharge process adversely affected quality of care in 25% of post hospitalization visits. Therefore, the discharge process is an opportunity to markedly improve communication between health providers, patients and caregivers. Current literature regarding best practices in reducing readmission rates for pneumonia reflects a body of literature studying antibiotic choice, timing of antibiotic administration and disease specific care coordination (i.e. pneumonia vaccination) 1,2, 16-18. Discussion of the discharge process among adult patients and their caregivers has been generally infrequent 12. Nolan, Grant, Keady, & Lundh19 reports a scarcity of articles related to caregiver support and adult patients. Upon discharge, care needs extend beyond discharge into the home where the burden of managing the complexities of recovery falls on the patient and family members20, 21. The partnership between caregiver and care receiver is addressed in this review as the patient-caregiver dyad. Nursing literature has identified caregiver involvement as a potential variable in unplanned hospital readmissions among adult patients22-24 Expanding current evidence suggests that deficiencies in the quality of care can be improved by patient-centered practices that coordinate discharge planning with patients and caregivers 14-16, 22. Coleman et. al25 defines patient-centered coordination of care as a process which improves patient outcomes undergoing transitions in care (i.e. discharge from hospital to home). Horowitz & Chassin2 demonstrated improved patient education decreased length of stay and hospital readmission rates for adult pneumonia patients. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation outlined enhancing teaching and learning as a key component of an ideal discharge from hospital to home. In a national program Transforming Care at the Bedside26, IHI suggested identifying the family caregivers and patient learning needs on admission. Moreover, the patient education process should be redesigned to improve the patient's and family caregivers' understanding of the disease process. In nursing literature, there is growing demand for comprehensive discharge planning that reflects a need for effective communication between health providers and family caregivers throughout hospitalization 13, 22, 27-30. Naylor et al. 28 found that discharge planning that directly involved elderly patients and their families resulted in fewer readmissions, decreased length of stay, and lower readmission costs for medical patients. There is also increasing evidence to suggest that a patient's readiness for discharge and caregiver comprehension of hospital discharge instructions may be associated with lower hospital readmission rates in adult patients aged 65 and older with CAP 2,30. The literature related to family caregivers' readiness for patient discharge refers to the caregiver's need for specific information on discharge 22,31. Haesler, Bauer, & Nay 32 identified lack of staff initiation of family education as an area of dissatisfaction for caregivers. In 1991, a nursing literature review addressed the need for research regarding the topic of education for the nonprofessional caregiver 5. Moreover, lack of involvement of family caregivers due to inadequate learning assessment has been identified in nursing literature as early as 1995 33. In a randomized control trial of 363 patients, a comprehensive discharge plan that included an assessment of caregiver learning needs and burden demonstrated reduced readmission rates among elderly patients 34. Chow, Wong, & Poon 35 demonstrated in a convenience sample of 47 families that enhanced discharge planning including caregiver education is essential for families of stroke victims. Although caregivers are viewed as important in discharge planning research, a November 2009 integrative review of 36 articles found advanced practice nursing interventions that included care coordination and transition care promising in a decrease in readmissions 10. The effects of discharge planning on unscheduled readmission rates in adult populations discharged from hospital to home has been systematically reviewed in the Cochrane Library of Systematic Reviews 36. The effectiveness of interventions aimed at the patient-caregiver dyad during discharge planning has not been systematically reviewed in the Cochrane Library of Systematic Review, CRD DARE or in the Joanna Briggs Institute Library of Systematic Reviews. It is important to systematically review this innovation's impact on the patient-caregiver dyad including other patient centered care components (i.e. caregiver support). Inclusion Criteria Types of participants This review will consider studies that include adult patients aged 65 and older in hospital settings diagnosed with community acquired pneumonia (CAP). Types of interventions The review will consider studies specific to assessment of patient and caregiver/family learning needs related to discharge education. Types of outcomes This review will consider studies that include the following outcome measures: coordination of care, unexpected hospital readmissions within thirty days. Types of studies The review first will consider any randomized controlled trials. In the absence of RCTs other research designs, such as non-randomized controlled trials, case-control and cohort studies and descriptive studies, will be considered for inclusion in the systematic review. Search Strategy The search strategy aims to find both published and unpublished studies in English language only from 1991 to current date. The search begins in the pivotal year following the introduction of new dyad interventions for older patients: (a) patient-caregiver dyad assessment and (b) assessment of caregiver learning needs 5,33,37. A three-step search strategy will be utilized in this review. An initial search of MEDLINE and CINAHL will be undertaken followed by analysis of the text words contained in the title and abstract, and of the index terms used to describe article. A second search using all identified keywords and expanded index terms will then be undertaken across all included databases. Thirdly, the reference list of all identified reports and articles will be hand searched for additional studies. The databases to be searched include: EMBASE, ERIC, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PSYCH-Info, An additional grey literature search to identify unpublished studies/papers will include: Mednar, Virginia Henderson Library of Sigma Theta Tau, Robert Wood Johnson Institute, Literacy Educational Online (LEO), TRIPP, dissertations abstracts international. Investigators currently conducting studies on caregiver support will be contacted. Initial keywords to be used will be: (i) patients (MeSH), caregivers (MeSH), discharge planning (MeSH), patient discharge (MeSH), hospitals (MeSH); care transition (MeSH), patient care team(MeSH), interdisciplinary communication (MeSH), Patient - caregiver dyad (MeSH), patient-centered care (MeSH) A secondary Boolean query using smart search will include combinations of the following words and phrases: Patient-centered care, community acquired pneumonia, discharge education, carer, caregiver, readmission, unexpected readmissions, teaching instruction, learning needs, hospital readmissions, readmit, communication, coordination, unplanned readmissions, acute care discharge plan, caregiver assessment, re-hospitalization, learning needs, clinical discharge education, Meleis' transitions theory. Assessment of Methodological Quality Quantitative papers selected for retrieval will be assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI) (Appendix I). Any disagreements that arise between the reviewers will be resolved through discussion, or with a third reviewer until consensus is reached. Data Collection Quantitative data will be extracted from papers included in the review using the standardised data extraction tool from JBI-MAStARI (Appendix II). The data extracted will include specific details about the interventions, populations, study methods and outcomes of significance to the review question and specific objectives. Data Synthesis Quantitative data will, where possible be pooled in statistical meta-analysis using the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI). All results will be subject to double data entry. Odds ratio (for categorical data) and weighted mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals will be calculated for analysis. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the standard Chi-square. Where statistical pooling is not possible the findings will be presented in narrative form. Conflicts of Interest There are no conflicts of interest.

BackgroundThe leukemia affects not only the quality of life (QOL) of patients with the disease but also that of their family caregivers (FCs). The research studies on QOL of FCs for leukemia patients are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL of FCs for leukemia patients in Heilongjiang province, China.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was undertaken with 309 FCs for leukemia patients recruited from three hospitals in Heilongjiang province. The QOL of the participants was assessed using the Chinese version of WHOQOL-BREF. Multivariate regression models were established to determine the predictors of the QOL of FCs, including the socio-economic characteristics of patients and FCs, and the emotional distress, social support and family functions of FCs.ResultsThe FCs had low QOL scores in all four domains: 12.7 ± 2.8 for physical, 12.2 ± 2.5 for psychological, 13.2 ± 2.9 for social and 11.3 ± 2.5 for environment. Social support is a major predictor of the QOL of FCs, with a standardized β coefficient of “high support” ranging from 0.41 to 0.58 for the four domains, followed by family function (β = 0.37 ~ 0.44 for psychological, social and environmental domains). The FCs who were older, highly educated, had no religious belief, suffered from a higher level of emotional distress, and provided care to younger patients and the patients without insurance coverage had lower QOL than the others.ConclusionThe study provides some important insights into the QOL of FCs for leukemia patients. The QOL of FCs for leukemia patients is low and low levels of support to FCs are a major predictor of low QOL of FCs.

Background: It is widely acknowledged that family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders face numerous challenges that can jeopardize their mental well-being. Therefore, the adoption of effective coping strategies can equip them to navigate the difficult and stressful situations encountered in their daily lives. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to assess the coping strategies employed by family caregivers of patients with chronic mental disorders who were receiving care at psychiatric centers in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study involved 188 family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic characteristics form and the Endler and Parker Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations – Short Form (CISS-SF). The relationship between demographic variables and coping strategy scores was analyzed using independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson and Spearman correlation tests in SPSS v. 20. Results: The results revealed that 55.1% of family caregivers utilized emotion-oriented coping strategies, 30.3% employed problem-solving coping strategies, and 14.6% adopted avoidance coping strategies. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between the types of coping strategies and any of the demographic variables (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Given the findings of this study, which suggest that family caregivers tend to use ineffective coping strategies, it is imperative to implement preventive and psychological interventions aimed at enhancing the utilization of problem-oriented coping strategies within this group.

With the increasing number of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, growing attention has been paid to the quality of care. Strengthening care preparedness of family caregivers is essential to improving the nursing quality. The purpose of this study is to explore the care preparedness level of family caregivers of MHD patients and its influencing factors, so as to provide guidance for the development of targeted care interventions. A total of 237 family caregivers of MHD patients were recruited from the hemodialysis room of two tertiary hospitals in Wuhan using the Convenience sampling method. They were surveyed by the general data questionnaire, Care Preparedness Scale and Positive Aspects of Caregiving. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS software, version 21.0. The statistical tests conducted in this study were two-tailed, and a significance level of P < 0.05 was deemed as statistically significant. The care preparedness and positive aspects of caregiving scores of family caregivers of MHD patients were 19.05 ± 5.64 and 31.28 ± 7.28 points, respectively. The care preparedness level of family caregivers was significantly positively correlated with positive aspects of caregiving (P < 0.01). The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that the total nursing time and whether family caregivers had chronic diseases and positive aspects of caregiving were the main factors influencing their care preparedness (all P < 0.05). These three factors accounted for 49.6% of the variance. The care preparedness of family caregivers of MHD patients remains to be continuously improved. Medical staff should emphasize the important role of total nursing time, whether the caregiver has a chronic disease, and positive aspects of caregiving in improving care preparedness in this population. To achieve this end, medical staff can provide targeted support and guidance for caregivers according to the influencing factors, such as implementing group psychological education, strengthening the training, offering social support, remote intervention (including family caregivers’ education through the media), and so on. Meanwhile, caregivers should be evaluated dynamically, and information and emotional support should be provided for them.