Understanding and mitigating occupational stress in professional dementia caregivers in residential aged care: a systematic review with framework synthesis.
Hayley Antipas, Jeanette Tamplin, Tanara Vieira Sousa et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review with framework synthesis examined how occupational stress is experienced and mitigated among professional dementia caregivers in residential aged care. It included 52 studies involving 16,372 caregivers across 1,121 aged care facilities. The synthesis described stress as psychological, physical and relational, arising within a complex system of interacting factors and both everyday and singular stress activators and mediators. Interventions addressing multiple factors simultaneously appeared most effective. The authors recommend approaches that prevent stress-triggering events, reduce ongoing activators and strengthen ongoing mediators.
Key findings
- The review included 52 studies involving 16,372 caregivers across 1,121 aged care facilities.
- Occupational stress was experienced psychologically, physically and relationally.
- Stress activators and mediators operated both as everyday influences and as singular events.
- Interventions addressing multiple factors simultaneously appeared most effective.
Why it matters
The findings frame caregiver stress as a system-level issue rather than a response to isolated events alone. This perspective may help services consider how workplace conditions, recurring stressors and protective factors interact, while recognising that caregiver wellbeing is linked to workforce sustainability, care quality, health and economic burden.
What to keep in mind
The review included only original research published in English, which may limit the evidence represented.