Evaluating the Positive Experience of Caregiving: A Systematic Review of the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale

Abstract

Background and Objectives: As attention to positive caregiving experience increases, there is growing evidence concerning how the identification of the positive aspects of caregiving can be beneficial in supporting caregivers. The purpose of the current study is to review the literature where the Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale (PACS) was used, identify the ways studies have used the PACS, and summarize the relationship between PACS and the contextual factors as well as outcomes of caregiving. Research Design and Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted. Electronic databases were searched, and empirical research studies written in English that were published in a peer-reviewed journal after 2004 were identified. After a careful review of the 194 abstracts yielded from the databases and the reference lists of the associated articles, 52 eligible studies were identified, and relevant findings were extracted. Results: Some commonality in terms of how studies have used the PACS emerged. The literature reviewed was further grouped into 3 categories depending on whether the study tested the PACS as a valid and reliable measurement, examined the PACS as outcomes of caregiving, or as a predictor of certain outcomes. Discussion and Implications: This review suggests that PACS is utilized for multiple purposes and yields considerable evidence supporting the importance of understanding the positive experience of caregiving. However, there is limited adaptation of the PACS in a large survey, and studies were heavily focused in the United States with little evidence from other countries. Further studies to address these limitations will be needed.