Patient and Caregiver Adjustment to Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: a Systematic Review of Dyad-Based Studies

Abstract

Purpose of Review

The aims of this study were to identify and systematically evaluate studies published from 2005–2017 that took a dyadic approach to assessing or intervening upon hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients and their informal caregivers.

Recent Findings

Our search yielded 20 studies. Regarding sample demographic characteristics, most participants were Caucasian and most caregivers were related to the patient by marriage. Regarding design characteristics, 18 studies were quantitative and two were qualitative; five were cross-sectional, ten were longitudinal, one was experimental, and four were interventional. Most outcomes were psychosocial and the interventions were largely psycho-educational in nature. Large variation in quality of the studies emerged (six were rated as low quality, seven as adequate, and seven as high quality).

Summary

Understudied populations include racial/ethnic minorities and same-sex couples. More work is needed to understand functioning during survivorship and impacts on patient medical outcomes, and to truly leverage the dyad to optimize individual- and relationship-level adjustment.

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