Case Management for Enhancing Wellbeing, Resilience, and Quality of Life in Caregivers of Children and Adolescents With Chronic Illnesses and Disabilities: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Caregivers of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses often experience mental health challenges, which increase their risk of poor quality of life. This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of case management interventions in improving caregivers' positive mental health, psychological distress, and satisfaction with health care services. We included (cluster) randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effects of case management. Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO up to 30 June 2024. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane tool (RoB 2), and multi-level meta-analyses were performed for post-intervention outcomes, while follow-up data were synthesized qualitatively due to limited long-term evidence. A total of 17 studies were included, providing multiple effect estimates for different types of outcomes, showing small positive effects of case management on mental health (analyses based on 8 studies), psychological distress (6 studies), and satisfaction with health services (9 studies). Although case management interventions show promise in supporting carers, the limited number of studies limits the strength and generalizability of the findings. Further research is needed to explore the long-term effectiveness of such interventions. Trial Registration: The review protocol was prospectively registered at PROSPERO (CRD4202453375).