Self-Care Experiences and Behaviours in People With Parkinson’s Disease: A Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

Background

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the fastest-growing neurodegenerative condition globally, significantly impairing self-care capacity due to its complex motor and nonmotor symptoms. Caregiver involvement is often essential.

Objective

This review aims to synthesise qualitative evidence on self-care behaviours and experiences in individuals with PD, from both patient and caregiver perspectives.

Methods

A qualitative meta-synthesis was conducted using Sandelowski and Barroso’s methodology. Fifty-two eligible studies were analysed. Thematic categories were mapped onto Riegel’s self-care framework: maintenance, monitoring, and management.

Results

Self-care maintenance emerged as the most frequently reported dimension. Across all three dimensions, caregiver support played a central role in enabling effective symptom control and treatment adherence.

Conclusions

The synthesis highlights the critical importance of supporting self-care—especially maintenance behaviours—in PD management. It also emphasizes the vital role caregivers play in reinforcing self-care, pointing to the need for integrated support structures in clinical and research contexts.

Registration

This review was registered in PROSPERO (https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024598072).