Self-Care, Hope, and Life Meaning as Predictors of Psychological Resilience in Informal Caregivers of Hemodialysis Patients: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: The physical, emotional, and psychological difficulties that informal caregivers of hemodialysis patients commonly encounter can jeopardize their health. Spirituality, life purpose, and self-care may be protective variables that increase psychological resilience in this population, according to recent research. OBJECTIVE: In this systematic review, quantitative data on the predictive power of spirituality, life purpose, and self-care in predicting psychological resilience in informal caregivers of hemodialysis patients is critically assessed and synthesized. METHODS: A comprehensive search of PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL was conducted for studies published between 2010 and 2025. We included quantitative studies that evaluated spirituality, self-care, life meaning, and resilience in informal caregivers of adult hemodialysis patients. Eighteen studies satisfied the inclusion criteria after 65 full-text articles were assessed, 47 entries were filtered by title and abstract, and duplicates were eliminated. Measurement instruments, research features, and statistical correlations were the main topics of data extraction. To assess the quality of the methodology, the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklists were used. A narrative synthesis was performed since study designs and measures varied widely. RESULTS: Higher levels of life purpose, spiritual well-being, self-efficacy, hope, and self-care were consistently linked to stronger psychological resilience and less caregiver strain across the 18 investigations. Improved coping mechanisms and reduced stress were observed among caregivers with higher spiritual well-being, a clearer sense of life purpose, or stronger self-care routines. Additionally, resilience mitigated the effects of caregiver stress, which modulated psychological outcomes. CONCLUSION: Spirituality, life purpose, and self-care all have a significant impact on the psychological resilience of informal caregivers of hemodialysis patients. The well-being of caregivers and their ability to provide long-term care may be improved by interventions that focus on these variables.