Effectiveness of caregiver‐mediated exercise interventions on activities of daily living, anxiety and depression post‐stroke rehabilitation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Aims This review aims to examine updated evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of caregiver‐mediated exercise interventions on basic and extended activities of daily living (ADL), anxiety and depression of post‐stroke rehabilitation individuals. Design A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Data sources Six electronic databases, including CINAHL, CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, PsycINFO and Scopus, grey literature and trial registry were searched from inception until February 2021. Methods Only randomized controlled trials written in English were included. Meta‐analyses were conducted for basic and extended ADL, anxiety and depression outcomes using RevMan software. Overall quality of evidence was assessed using Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Results A total of 11 randomized controlled trials comprising 2120 participants were identified, with 10 trials meta‐analysed. Meta‐analyses indicated statistically significant effects favouring caregiver‐mediated exercise interventions for basic ADL. Subgroup analyses revealed significant effects for exercise‐only interventions mediated by caregivers for basic ADL. No significant effects were found for extended ADL, anxiety and depression for stroke survivors. Conclusion Caregiver‐mediated exercise interventions appear to have beneficial impacts on basic ADL for stroke survivors, suggesting caregiver‐mediated exercise interventions as a potentially feasible way to improve functional independence. Impact Caregiver‐mediated intervention with exercises as a major component could be a promising approach to augment stroke rehabilitation. Future research should include high‐quality studies with focus on specific intervention components or to explore caregiver outcomes.