Peer support interventions for family carers of adults with chronic mental or physical illness who are living at home

Abstract

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the effects of peer support interventions on health-related quality of life (i.e. mental and physical health) and wellbeing of family carers who care for an adult relative with a chronic mental or physical illness at home. Secondary objectives are: to assess whether different features within each peer support intervention impact on its effects. These features could include: the facilitator (peer, versus peer and professional co-facilitators); format, duration, intensity of intervention; and quality of peer training. to assess the effects of simple and multifaceted interventions (interventions with more than one component), and the particular features that are most effective. to assess the effects of peer support interventions across different types of illness.