Factors Influencing the Positive Aspects of Caregiving in Family Caregivers of People with Dementia: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review Protocol

Abstract

Abstract Aim: To provide an overview of the various influencing factors related to the positive aspects of caring for dementia patients by family caregivers. Design: Mixed-methods systematic review. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided this protocol as reported. Peer-reviewed studies published in English from 1997 to the present will be searched via information sources, gray literature, and the following databases: Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Eligible trials will also be retrieved from ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. For the mixed-method studies, which will include both qualitative and quantitative studies, the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool will be used. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for case-control and cohort studies, as well as critical appraisal tools for cross-sectional and quantitative studies from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI), will be consulted to assess the methodological quality of the studies, and the data will be extricated with JBI data extraction tools. The narrative form of the findings will be presented in the absence of textual pooling. Discussion: This systematic review will synthesize and analyze the factors that influence the positive aspects of caring for dementia patients by family caregivers. Conclusion: The findings will help decision-makers to adopt more appropriate and effective interventions for caregivers of people with dementia. Patient or public contributions: This protocol study will ascertain the factors affecting the mediation of and path to improved caregiving, explore the factors’ action mechanisms, and examine the controlling factors to design a more targeted intervention program to improve caregiving, thus improving dementia patients’ outcomes and care. Contributions of the findings will include evidence of strategies that address ongoing dementia caregiving issuesand the identification of areas for future research.