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BreathCarer is a study of the burden and needs of family caregivers caring for patients with chronic respiratory distress due to a life-limiting illness.

Most patients with respiratory distress associated with a serious illness (e.g., cancer or lung disease) rely on the support of family members in a variety of ways. However, in addition to positive experiences, family caregivers also experience great stress with effects on their own health and well-being. Family members are also affected themselves. They not infrequently suffer from anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, loss of social contacts and a lower quality of life.

Despite an urgent need, there are hardly any support offers that are adapted to relatives of people with respiratory distress. In order to develop such offers, some questions need to to be answered at first: What kind of stresses do family caregivers exhibit and to what degree? Would family members like more information or strategies for dealing with respiratory distress or with their own stresses? In order to answer these questions, a systematic recording of the research results is missing to date.

Therefore, the aim of this review work is to conduct a systematic search, evaluation and summary of current study results. On the one hand, the effectiveness of support measures for relatives is to be evaluated. On the other hand, the current knowledge about burdens, needs, coping strategies and the use of health/social support services will be presented. The results will be discussed together with relatives and used as a basis for the development of an effective support offer.