Aim This study aimed to develop a self‐care support program (SSP) for family caregivers and stroke patients. Methods This mixed‐method explanatory‐sequential study began with a first phase, a quantitative randomized clinical trial involving 80 patients and their caregivers. The intervention consisted of two 1‐h face‐to‐face sessions conducted over 1 month. In the twist phase, a qualitative study with a directed content analysis approach explored the perceptions of the participants in the experimental group. The resulting data in the third phase were mixed using a Miles and Huberman matrix. Results Quantitative results showed a significant improvement in quality of life and resilience for family caregivers in the intervention group compared to the control group ( p < 0.001), with patients also experiencing enhanced quality of life in the intervention group ( p < 0.001). Qualitative analysis of interviews with 12 participants of the intervention group identified three key themes: stress management for caregivers, emotion management, and adaptation skills for patients, reflecting enhancements to the SSP based on Orem’s theory. Interview findings expanded upon the quantitative results, confirming and enriching the data through Miles and Huberman’s matrix. Conclusion The integration of quantitative and qualitative data confirmed and enriched the findings. The SSP highlighted family caregivers’ capabilities in stress management, also emphasizing emotional management and adaptation to patient challenges. It is recommended that the program be implemented for other stroke patients in nursing homes, hospitals, and home settings. Implications This study demonstrates SSP effectiveness for caregivers of stroke patients, with implications for nursing practice, research, policy, and education. The program improves QOL, resilience, and outcomes for caregivers while developing self‐care for patients. The findings highlight the need for resource investment and SSP integration into nursing practice.
Nooreddini et al. (Thu,) studied this question.