From Burden to Balance: A Narrative Review of Occupational Therapy Strategies for Informal Caregivers

Informal caregivers are important caregivers, as they help care for chronic illness, disability, and age-related conditions, but they often struggle with the demands of caregiving that interfere with their health, well-being, and capacity for meaningful life roles. Here we present a narrative review of the role of occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) in promoting caregiver health, focusing on aspects of occupational balance, caregiver assessment, intervention strategies, and outcome measurement. This review adds insights to the literature surrounding the most prevalent caregiver assessments, measuring caregiver burden, role identity, mental health, and quality of life, and how these cumulative outcomes influence occupational balance. The reviewing intervention domains include caregiver education, skill-building, environmental modification, and psychosocial support, underlining the unique occupation-based and client-centered contributions of OTPs (Figure 2). Across studies, occupational therapy led interventions were related to decreases in caregiver burden and psychological distress, and in improvements in coping behaviors, participation and quality of life. This review highlights the significance of using occupational therapy as an occupational balance framework by linking assessment, intervention, and outcome perspectives to promote sustainable caregiving practices and assist with the well-being of caregivers.