Addressing stroke family caregivers’ mental health through person‑ and family‑centred rehabilitation

Stroke is a leading cause of disability. Family caregivers play a critical role in supporting people living with stroke-related disability across the care continuum. Unfortunately, it is not standard clinical practice to prepare and support caregivers for their role. Caregivers’ responses to providing care are heterogenous, reflecting different strengths and challenges and the varying disability of people with stroke.Purpose We aim to summarize the literature on family caregiver experiences and support needs following stroke and highlight person- and family-centred care (PFCC) as a potential approach to addressing gaps in caregiver support and mental health.Materials and methods Literature was reviewed to examine caregiver mental health outcomes, caregiver-focused interventions, challenges integrating caregiver support into patient-centred models of care, and the potential role of PFCC.Results Caregivers are at increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes, including stress, burden, and psychological distress. Although interventions have been developed to improve caregiver health and well‑being, effectiveness has been mixed, with persistent challenges integrating caregiver‑focused programs into patient‑centred models of care.Conclusion PFCC offers a promising approach by recognizing and engaging family caregivers as partners in care planning and implementation, with potential to enhance caregiver support and mental health and wellbeing.