Efficacy of Educational Programs for the Empowerment and Well-Being of Caregivers of Children With Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review

Abstract

BackgroundFamily caregivers play an important role in providing care and support to children with mental illness. Caring for a child with a mental disorder is heavy and stressful for family members.AimThe current review aimed to summarise the conclusions of these programs and identify the available gaps for planning and designing to help this family and the people in contact with it.MethodsThis systematic review was conducted until July 24, 2024. PRISMA guidelines were used in this study to retrieve all national and international studies. This research aimed to evaluate the correlation between interventions designed for caregivers of children with mental health disorders and a wide range of outcomes, including subjective and objective outcomes. Measures of burden, general well-being, quality of life, sleep quality, knowledge acquisition, self-efficacy, and physiological health-while contrasted with standard supportive practices or alternative control conditions.ResultsThe findings of this study, which were based on the educational content provided to these families, were categorised into five categories: (1) psychoeducational psychotherapy, (2) parent management training, (3) telehealth interventions, (4) family therapies and (5) support groups.ConclusionsResearch has shown that targeted interventions can significantly increase the quality of life for caregivers of children with mental disorders, but more empirical research is needed to confirm the findings and develop stronger support systems alongside tailored programs that these caregivers need to face distinct challenges.PROSPERO RegistrationCRD42024597965.