The Impact of Peer Support for Informal Caregivers of Adults with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Purpose: This scoping review provided a broad overview of the research evidence on the impact of peer support programs for informal caregivers of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Materials and methods: Four online databases were used to identify records from inception to 28 August 2024. Quantitative and qualitative original research publications were included if participants were informal caregivers of an adult with moderate to severe TBI, and receiving peer-to-peer support from other caregivers with lived experience. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklists were used to chart and report data.

Results: Five studies with heterogeneous designs were included. A total of 191 adult caregivers participated, and were mostly female (n = 143) family members (n = 101) or significant others (n = 80). All peer support programs included a TBI-related education component, and were mostly social support groups (80%) delivered online (60%). A range of different measures and outcomes related to wellbeing and quality of life were evaluated. Overall, 80% of studies reported at least one significant quantitative outcome or qualitative impact.

Discussion: Findings on the impact of caregiver peer support interventions were mixed, and may be attributable to the diverse nature of intervention features.

Conclusion: Overall, peer support has a positive impact on outcomes of wellbeing and quality of life for caregivers of adults with moderate to severe TBI. Future peer support programs would benefit from cultural adaptions for translation to international settings.