The perspectives and experience of persons with dementia and their family caregivers from a Muslim background: A systematic review

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Nurunnaher N, Xiao L and Debellis A

Flinders University, Australia

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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Dementia is a world’s health issue. Generally, individuals with dementia live at home and are supported by family caregivers regardless of their race and religion. However, Muslim people see no alternative of family caregiving, even when they migrate to the developed country where the residential care facility is offered as an alternative of family caregiving. Little is known about the experience of individuals with dementia and their family caregivers from Muslim communities living in developed countries. Therefore, this study aims to review the available research and conduct a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies (systematic review-SR). The aim of the SR is to explore the perspectives and experience of individuals with dementia and their family caregivers from Muslim communities living in developed countries around the world. The SR is also to identify the gap in the research to inform an original study and to develop a model to inform dementia care services to deliver improved care services for persons with dementia and their family caregivers. In doing so, a systematic review protocol is developed to guide the research. After an exhaustive systematic search 3933 articles were retrieved and total 17 articles were finally selected after following a rigorous filtering process. The articles were assessed for its rigor using the CASP tool. The study developed a conceptual framework namely the Socio-cultural-religious Stress and Coping Model (Context-Appraisal-Impact/Outcome) based on several other relevant models to guide the synthesis, presentation and discussion of the findings. The metasynthesis explored that experience of being diagnosed with dementia and caregiving both are similarly stressful. Both of their experience is highly influenced by socio-cultural tradition and norms, religious belief, level of acculturation, social supports and resources, influence of society’s expectation on personal behavior and self-efficacy.

Biography

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Nurunnaher Nurunnaher is pursing Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, South Australia. Earlier she has completed Doctor of Philosophy in Social and Policy Studies from School of Social Sciences in Flinders University in 2013. Her other degrees includes: Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies from Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand in 2006, Master of Science in Agricultural Economics and Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology from Bangladesh Agricultural University in 2003 and 2000 accordingly. She has 6 years of active tertiary teaching experience at the Faculty of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology in Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh. She was also involved in various types of research position several times in her career in Bangladesh. She has published around 10 articles in national and international journals and also presented papers in several national and international conferences.

E-mail: nuru0001@flinders.edu.au