Symptom Experiences of Family Caregivers of Patients Undergoing Maintenance Haemodialysis: A Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis frequently develop a variety of physical, psychological, cognitive and social symptoms during long-term caregiving. These symptoms not only impair caregivers' own health, but may also interfere with patients' treatment and recovery. Fluctuations in patients' conditions and growing care demands can in turn trigger or worsen caregivers' symptoms, creating a vicious cycle. Nevertheless, existing research has paid insufficient attention to the symptom experiences of this caregiver group. AIM: To thoroughly explore the symptom experiences of family caregivers of patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis and provide practical references for clinical healthcare providers to develop targeted symptom management strategies. DESIGN: A descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with 15 family caregivers of patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis at the Blood Purification Center of Shanxi Bethune Hospital between January 2026 and February 2026. Directed content analysis was used to analyse the collected data. RESULTS: The symptom experiences of family caregivers of patients receiving maintenance haemodialysis were categorised into three main themes and ten subthemes. The main themes included multidimensional depletion under the rhythm of dialysis, patient-centred cognitive shift, and diverse coping strategies under caregiving stress. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that clinical practice should pay sufficient attention to the health needs of family caregivers of haemodialysis patients and deliver individualised support interventions tailored to caregivers' personal characteristics. REPORTING METHOD: The COREQ checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Interviews with study participants offered valuable perspectives for understanding the symptom experiences of family caregivers. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings highlight the importance of recognising the symptom experiences of family caregivers of patients receiving MHD. Greater clinical attention to caregivers' own health needs may inform future caregiver-focused supportive intervention research.