Adaptation Processes of Survivors and Informal Caregivers after Stroke: A Scoping Review through the Lens of Educational Sciences

ABSTRACT

Background

Systematic knowledge about stroke adaptation can be a useful tool to develop evidence-based policies and practices centered on survivors and informal caregivers.

Purpose

This scoping review summarizes the body of knowledge about the adaptation processes after stroke.

Methods

Based on PRISMA-ScR guidelines, databases were searched, in November 2021, and 14 studies were included. The qualitative findings were inductively synthesized. The quantitative results were included in the taxonomy of categories and themes of the qualitative analysis.

Results

The adaptation processes after stroke are constituted by psychosocial and structural adaptation. The emotional distress, the use of emotional-based coping strategies, the received social support, the role and relationship changes, and the social participation were central factors of the psychosocial adaptation. Regarding the structural adaptation, the use of problem-solving based coping strategies; the centrality of the caregiving role; the learning processes; and the changes in daily life activities were reported.

Discussion

Health education research and interventions after stroke should consider the role of adaptative coping strategies, social support networks and services, and long-term educational policies.

Translation to Health Education Practice: This work will assist Health educators and researchers to deeper understand the adaptation after stroke, identify knowledge gaps, and define further research issues.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology – FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education), by the Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund (ESF), Portugal 2020 and European Structural and Investment Funds, through the Regional Operational Programme Norte (Norte 2020), under the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-031898; by the Operational Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization (COMPETE 2020), Portugal 2020, European Regional Development Fund, under the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit) (POCI-01-045-FEDER-016867; Ref. FCT UID/DTP/04750/2019); by the Centre for Research and Intervention in Education multi-annual FCT funding (UIDB/00167/2020 and UIDP/00167/2020); by the Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health FCT funding (UIDB/04750/2020 and LA/P/0064/2020); by the PhD grant 2020.07312.BD (to AM); and by the grant SFRH/BPD/103562/2014 (to EA), co-funded by the FCT and the POPH/FSE.