SOCIAL WORK AND MANAGEMENT ›› 2025, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (5): 1-14,22.

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The Caregiving Experiences of Cancer Patients’ Family Caregivers: Based on the Qualitative Meta-Synthesis of Chinese and American Qualitative Studies

HE Longtao1, PENG Huamin2   

  1. 1. Research Institute of Social Development, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, Chengdu, Sichuan, 611130, China;
    2. Department of Social Work and Social Policy, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210023, China
  • Received:2024-09-16 Online:2025-09-15 Published:2025-09-15

Abstract: Population aging and the increasing cancer rates in both China and the United States have drawn significant scholarly attention to the caregiving issues in cancer patients’ families. However, few research has synthesized and compared the caregiving experiences of cancer patients’ family members in these two countries. Qualitative Meta-Synthesis is suitable to examine the homogeneity and heterogeneity of family caregiving experiences in the two countries, providing empirical data to construct a comprehensive support system for family caregivers in China. Adopting Qualitative Meta-Synthesis method, this study includes 32 relevant studies: 19 focusing Chinese family caregivers, 13 on American family caregivers. Four primary themes are identified, that includes negative experience, positive experience, existing support, care needs, each with various secondary and tertiary themes. The diversity of caregiving experiences in the two countries is highlighted through these secondary and tertiary themes. We have also identified four main structural elements contributing to this heterogeneity: cultural factors related to cancer and caregiving, healthcare systems, employment security, health insurance systems, and belief systems.

Key words: cancer, elders, family caregivers, Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

CLC Number: 

  • C916
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