Family cancer caregiver resilience: scoping review

To systematically map and synthesise current evidence on family resilience among family caregivers of patients with cancer.

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. Databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus and CNKI were searched in July 2024 and updated in August 2025. The reference list of relevant studies and Google Scholar were also searched. Primary studies published in English and Chinese in peer-reviewed journals were included. Study selection, quality appraisal and data extraction were conducted by two reviewers independently. Narratives, tables and figures were used to present synthesised results.

50 studies were included, involving family caregivers across various cancer types and phases of the cancer trajectory. Inconsistent instruments were identified across the studies. The factors were categorised into three core elements of family resilience: risk factors, protective factors and psychosocial and functional outcomes. Furthermore, the review summarises the relationships among these elements and notes a scarcity of empirically tested interventions to enhance family resilience.

This review provides insights into current evidence on family resilience among family caregivers of patients with cancer. Future research should prioritise the specific phase of the cancer trajectory. In addition, more rigorous methodologies are required for conceptual measurement, exploration of factors and intervention development.