Education and behavior interventions reduce burden for CKD caregivers in a systematic review

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Journal of renal care Published June 1, 2026 Medically reviewed June 1, 2026 Study authors: Gillespie Kerri M, Purtell Louise, Finderup Jeanette, Schjerning Nina, Bonner Ann PubMed ↗ DOI ↗ By Dr. Amelia Tan, PhD · Internal Medicine & Chronic Disease

Key Takeaway

Brief education programs may reduce burden for CKD caregivers, though evidence certainty is low.

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease across any location. The review included thirteen studies involving education interventions, mindfulness, relaxation, logotherapy, peer mentoring, and behaviour modification. Twelve studies identified a significant reduction in caregiver burden. A meta-analysis of five education and skills training interventions found an overall reduction in caregiver burden. No specific effect sizes, absolute numbers, or p-values were reported for these outcomes.

The authors noted that heterogeneity was high, which limited comparability between the included studies. Consequently, the certainty of evidence for caregiver burden was low. Safety data, including adverse events or discontinuations, were not reported in the source material.

Practice relevance suggests that brief education-focused programs and selected behaviour-change interventions may reduce the burden for informal caregivers. Clinicians should interpret these findings cautiously given the low certainty of evidence and high heterogeneity.

Study Details

Study typeMeta analysis

EvidenceLevel 1

PublishedJun 2026

PMID42159051

View Original Abstract ↓

BACKGROUND: Informal caregivers increasingly support people with chronic kidney disease, yet caregiving is often associated with substantial physical, emotional, and financial burden. OBJECTIVES: To synthesise the characteristics and effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce burden among informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PARTICIPANTS: Informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease. MEASUREMENTS: A search was conducted of CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases from inception to February 2025, as well as citation chaining and hand searching. Randomised control trials, quasi-and non-randomised controlled trials, and single-group pre-post studies, conducted at any location and published in English were included. Risk of bias was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute Checklists. GRADE was used to assess certainty of evidence. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted for caregiver burden outcomes. RESULTS: Thirteen studies were included in the review, investigating education interventions, mindfulness, relaxation, logotherapy, peer mentoring, and behaviour modification. Twelve studies identified a significant reduction in caregiver burden. A meta-analysis of five education and skills training interventions found overall reduction in caregiver burden. Heterogeneity was high, which limited comparability. Certainty of evidence for caregiver burden was low. CONCLUSION: Brief education-focused programs and selected behaviour-change interventions may reduce the burden for informal caregivers of people with chronic kidney disease. However, additional high-quality studies conducted in a variety of contexts incorporating robust methods are required to identify the benefits and optimal characteristics of interventions to inform kidney care teams. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD420250651266).