Affiliation:
1. School of Nursing, Psychotherapy and Community Health Dublin City University Dublin Ireland
2. Government College of Nursing Madras Medical College Chennai India
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundIndia has a significant prevalence of people with intellectual disabilities. Despite their higher prevalence, they receive poor support. Therefore, this review aims to explore the experiences of family carers in providing care for children with intellectual disabilities in India.MethodsA qualitative evidence synthesis was undertaken, searching databases such as MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and PsycInfo up to October 2023. Grey literature was also searched for unpublished studies, with two reviewers assessing methodological quality. Eleven eligible studies, mostly qualitative in design, were included in the review. The data synthesis followed a thematic approach.ResultsThe synthesis found five themes representing family carers' experiences and perspectives. These were ‘resilience and acceptance’, ‘parental response’, ‘care dynamic’, ‘preparing for transition to adulthood’ and ‘parental advocacy’.ConclusionFamily carers hold diverse views, while almost all consider providing care complex and challenging, with few positive experiences.