[Mutuality in caregiving: a literature review].
BACKGROUND
Mutuality, understood as a feeling of intimacy and positive relationship between caregiver and care receiver, is gaining an increasing interest in the scientific arena in the light of socio-demographic change and the increase in chronic degenerative diseases. The purpose of this article is to carry out a critical analysis of the literature on mutuality in order to identify predictors and outcomes.


METHODS
A literature search was carried out the databases PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and ASSIA Sociological. Twenty (20) articles were selected. By analyzing critically all articles, emerges that mutuality is a key variable in the process of care giving and in mental and physical health of both caregiver and care-receiver. In the caregiver, high levels of mutuality are associated with less stress, depression and burden to a better quality of life and self perceived health; in patients high mutuality is able to speed up the recovery from the disease, to reduce anxiety and depression and to improve the quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Future studies aimed at the study of this variable also in the Italian population could be of support in developing programs to improve quality of life of caregivers and care receiver.
Dottorando di Ricerca in Scienze Infermieristiche, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata" Corrispondenza: silviocecilia@libero.it.
Silvio
S
Simeone
Direttore Corso di Laurea in Infermieristica, Sapienza Università di Roma, Bracciano.
Serenella
S
Savini
Ricercatore Cattedra di Oncologia medica, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata"
Francesco
F
Torino
Assegnista di Ricerca in Scienze Infermieristiche, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata"
Ercole
E
Vellone
Professore associato di Scienze Infermieristiche, Università di Roma "Tor Vergata"
Rosaria
R
Alvaro
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005195:Family Relations; D006801:Humans; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000451:nursing*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors