Lung transplant caregivers face multifaceted burdens and support needs

A qualitative meta-synthesis of 11 studies found that family caregivers of lung transplant recipients endure substantial burdens and multifaceted pressures, use positive coping strategies as their roles evolve, and have urgent, diverse needs for comprehensive support. Researchers identified 78 findings from the studies, grouped them into 10 categories and synthesized them into three overarching themes covering caregivers’ experiences, adaptation and support needs. The systematic review focused on the psychological experiences and caregiving needs of family caregivers rather than clinical outcomes among transplant recipients.

Researchers searched the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Ovid, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Wanfang, CNKI and VIP from the inception of each database through March 2026, using identical time ranges across all databases. They assessed study quality with the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research and combined the evidence through thematic meta-synthesis. The first overarching theme concerned the substantial burden and multiple pressures faced by caregivers.

The synthesized evidence describes the caregiving role as complex and evolving, with caregivers adapting as their responsibilities change. This theme captures experiences reported across the included qualitative studies; it does not quantify the prevalence of any particular burden or establish the size of an effect on psychological well-being. The second theme addressed the positive coping strategies caregivers employ to adapt to their evolving roles.

Caregivers were not portrayed as passive recipients of care demands, but as active participants who developed ways of responding to changing responsibilities. These findings represent coping patterns documented in the qualitative literature, not evidence that a specific coping intervention improved caregivers’ outcomes. The third theme identified urgent and diverse needs for comprehensive support, including enhanced discharge preparation and transitional care services.

The authors emphasized the importance of targeted, continuous support systems designed to address caregivers’ complex and evolving needs. Because this was a qualitative synthesis, its conclusions concern the range and character of reported experiences rather than measured differences between support models. The evidence also comes specifically from caregivers of lung transplant recipients and should not be treated as a direct assessment of recipients’ clinical outcomes or caregivers in other transplant groups.

The supplied article identifies itself as an early, open-access version of peer-reviewed, accepted research that remains subject to further edits before the final version of record.

Subject of Research: Qualitative evidence on the burdens, coping strategies and support needs of family caregivers of lung transplant recipients

Article Title: Caregiving experiences among family caregivers of lung transplant recipients: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies

Article References: Qiao, W., Ren, Y., Cai, S., Gao, C., & Xiang, X. (2026). Caregiving experiences among family caregivers of lung transplant recipients: a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05297-5

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05297-5

Keywords: lung transplantation, family caregivers, qualitative meta-synthesis, caregiver burden, coping strategies, transitional care, discharge preparation, caregiver support, psychological experiences, Caregiving, experiences, family