How does family resilience develop among stroke survivors and their caregivers? A mixed-method study using a chain mediating model.

Background: Walsh's family resilience theory indicated that families could foster resilient outcomes among their members when they are facing changes or crises. However, little is known about family resilience among Chinese stroke survivors and their caregivers. Objectives: To explore the direct and indirect relationships between the family resilience of stroke survivors, perceived social support, self-perceived burden, self-efficacy, and the burden on their principal caregivers, and to examine the journey of adapting to family resilience among stroke survivors. Design: An explanatory sequential mixed-method study. Methods: A quantitative assessment of perceived social support, self-perceived burden, self-efficacy, and family resilience was conducted among a cohort of stroke survivors. For a deeper understanding of the family resilience formation process, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were undertaken with a purposefully selected subset of participants, consisting of 15 stroke survivors and their principal caregivers who met the study criteria. Data analysis encompassed descriptive statistics, mediation models, and content analysis to integrate and interpret both quantitative and qualitative data. Results: In a comprehensive hospital in Guangdong Province, China, 379 participants-229 men (60.4%) and 150 women (39.6%)-completed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. The quantitative phase revealed significant statistical differences ( Conclusions: Exploring the factors influencing family resilience in stroke survivors could assist healthcare professionals developing interventions to enhance family resilience and lessen the burden on principal caregivers from individual, family, and social perspectives.