Using a Mixed-Method Approach to Explore the Factors Influencing the Family Resilience of Stroke Survivors in China

Kunjing Han,1,* Yiping Chen,2,* Min Li,2 Liping Cui1 1Department of Nursing, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030032, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Nursing, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi Province, People’s Republic of China*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liping Cui, Department of Nursing, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, No. 99, Longcheng Street, Taiyuan, 030032, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 0351-8368114, Email cuiliiping@163.comBackground: Stroke is a critical public health issue in China that necessitates a closer examination of family resilience (defined here as the collective capacity of individuals, families and communities to effectively navigate challenges, recover from adverse events and foster positive adaptation). Amid rising stroke incidence, this study addresses the dearth of research on family resilience among stroke survivors in China, aiming to assess its level, identify influencing factors and establish coping strategies for family caregivers.Methods: This mixed-methods research employed a sequential explanatory design. Questionnaires were distributed to 258 stroke survivors and their family members at outpatient follow-up visits. In the first stage (ie the quantitative research stage), the research tools for data collection included a general demographic sociological data questionnaire, the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS), the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale, the Caregiver Burden Scale, the Family Functioning Scale and the Social Support Rating Scale. Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS 26.0 software, utilising descriptive statistics for summarising sociodemographic characteristics and conducting analyses, such as independent-sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis. The second stage (ie the qualitative research stage) involved complementing and validating the data, developing a quantitative–qualitative interview framework and selecting participants for interviews. Colaizzi’s seven-step analysis was applied to analyse interview data. In the third stage, the quantitative and qualitative research results were integrated, and a comprehensive analysis was performed to obtain an accurate conclusion.Results: A total of 242 families responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 93.8%). In total, the mean age of stroke survivors was 61.86 ± 8.76 years old, and 69.8% were male. The quantitative results showed that the FRAS mean score was (185.33 ± 24.78), which was above the medium level. The multiple linear regression analysis confirmed that family function was the strongest influencing factor on family resilience (β = 0.948, p