Spirituality as a stress coping strategy in family caregivers of the elderly: Systematic review

Abstract

Objective: To identify available evidence on the effect of spiritual practices on the stress coping of family caregivers of older adults.

Materials and methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020. guidelines. The search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, SciELO, CINAHL, LILACS and Google Academic, including studies published between 2020 and 2025. Original and mixed-methods studies that evaluated the relationship between spirituality and stress among family caregivers of older adults were included.  Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

Results: Six studies conducted in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, and the United States were included, comprising a total of 1,550 family caregivers, with women representing most participants.  The evidence showed that spirituality and spiritual practices were associated with better stress buster, greater self-efficacy, a stronger sense of coherence, greater resilience, and improved quality of life, as well as lower caregiver burden and fewer depressive symptoms. In contrast, stress was consistently associated with greater caregiver burden and poorer quality of life, whereas spirituality emerged as a protective factor.

Conclusion: Spiritual practices constitute an important resource for coping with stress among family caregivers of older adults.  Integrating the spiritual dimension into nursing interventions may enhance caregivers' overall well-being.  However, further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to strengthen the available evidence.

Keywords: Spirituality; Stress; Caregivers; Aged.