Factors supporting organizational and individual resilience for healthcare professionals and informal caregivers in elderly care settings – a systematic review
Purpose The aim of this systematic review was to identify key factors that contribute to organizational and individual resilience for healthcare workers and informal caregivers in elderly care and further, to examine how leaders can support these factors. Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted as a systematic integrative review with narrative synthesis. Searches were conducted in the following electronic databases: CINAHL via EBSCOhost Medline via EBSCOhost, Scopus and the British nurse index June, 2024, with updated searches in September 2025. Eligible studies were original, peer-reviewed empirical journal articles, published in English between 2014 and 2025. Findings A total of hundred and thirty-four studies were included in the review. The synthesis resulted in four themes (three deductive themes and one inductive theme) describing key factors supporting organizational and individual resilience for healthcare workers and informal caregivers, and how leaders support these factors: key factors for individual resilience in healthcare workers; key factors for individual resilience in informal caregivers; key factors for organizational resilience; and leaders as intermediaries for organizational and individual resilience. Originality/value The review findings underscore the interdependent relationship between individual and organizational resilience and highlight the importance of reconciling both aspects to create resilient elderly healthcare systems. Moreover, the review emphasizes the leader's role as a mediator between individual and organizational resilience and reinforces the leader's role in building resilient care systems, including supporting informal caregivers’ resilience. The findings also identify organizational factors that can enhance individual resilience and be translated into concrete measures for supporting individual resilience.
Authors
- Martijn Felder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4906-9933)
- Hilda Bø Lyng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7107-4224)
- Anna‐Kaisa Vartiainen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9009-2989)
- Roland Bal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7202-5053)
- Annie Haver (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6275-6757)
- Inger Johanne Bergerød (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4376-6028)
- Luca Pirrotta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3418-2936)
- Veslemøy Guise (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9124-1664)
- Kristin Akerjordet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4300-4496)
- Sonja Sahla
- Tanja Schroeder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1733-6542)
- Malin Knutsen Glette (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3822-0581)
- Eila Kankaanpää (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5719-5783)
- Mari Lahti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3403-5418)
- Andreas Chatzittofis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6635-9564)
- Kristian Ringsby Odberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3456-9740)
- Jeffrey Braithwaite (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0296-4957)
- Sini Nevantaus
- Syb Kuijper
- Maren Kristine Raknes Sogstad
- Robyn Clay–Williams
- Paola Cantarelli
- Cecilie Haraldseid-Driftland
- Siri Wiig
- Louise A. Ellis
- Florin Tibu
Institutions
- Ştefan cel Mare University of Suceava (RO)
- University of Turku (FI)
- Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (IT)
- Turku University of Applied Sciences (FI)
- University of Eastern Finland (FI)
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
- University of Cyprus (CY)
- Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (NO)
- Erasmus University Rotterdam (NL)
- University of Stavanger (NO)
- Macquarie University (AU)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Health Governance
- Published
- 2026-03-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhg-06-2025-0085
- Primary Topic
- Resilience and Mental Health
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00