Family Resilience and Its Influencing Factors in Patients With Cancer and Their Family Members: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Aims: This review aims to explore factors influencing family resilience in families providing care for patients with cancer and to provide suggestions for future research directions. Methods: Six electronic databases were searched including Web of Science, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PubMed and CNKI from their inception to December 2023. The article reference lists were also manually searched. The Mixed Method Appraisal Tool was used to assess the included studies in this review. The 27-item checklist Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed to report this review. Results: Twenty-one studies from six online databases reported that either individual or family factors have effects on family resilience and were described into five clusters on the basis of the Walsh model of family resilience, including demographic and clinical factors, personal strengths and resources, family stressors, family resilient coping processes and family resilient adaptation outcomes. Conclusion: Family resilience in cancer families plays a pivotal role in coping with family stressors and facilitating positive outcomes through domains of coping. Future researches need to explore factors related to family resilience from dyadic perspectives and to establish multidisciplinary intervention strategies for developing levels of family resilience in cancer families. Trial Registration: PROSPERO: CRD42024535349.