Family Caregivers’ Experiences of Caring for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Systematic Review and Metasynthesis of Qualitative Studies

Family caregivers of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undertook heavy care tasks and role responsibilities. They were facing multiple challenges during the patients’ cancer trajectory. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to synthesize existing qualitative evidence regarding family caregivers’ experiences of caring for HNC patients. METHODS: A meta-aggregation approach was used. Articles were collected from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library. Supplementary resources were collected by scrutinizing reference lists and performing citation tracking. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included and synthesized. Three meta-themes covering “accepting the diagnosis and treatment on patients: a distressing process,” “facing changes of life and adapting to new roles,” and “appreciating the external supports” were identified with 10 subthemes. There was high confidence in the evidence for “facing changes of life and adapting to new roles” and moderate confidence in the evidence for the other 2 meta-themes. CONCLUSIONS: Taking care of HNC patients is a distressing process. Caregivers took on role responsibilities and developed strategies to make adjustments to life changes, so as to provide better care for patients. External supports regarding caregiving and self-care were desired. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Psychological distress was common among caregivers and calls for routine clinical screening. Providing caregivers with practical strategies to deal with daily caregiving tasks was crucial. Healthcare workers can play a critical role in providing tailored support in different caregiving stages. The findings informed the interventions and future research to improve HNC caregivers’ experiences.