Systematic Review/Meta-analysis Resilience in Vulnerable Populations With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Patients with chronic conditions and limited access to health care experience stressful challenges resulting from the burden of managing both their conditions and their daily life demands. Resilience provides a mechanism of adapting to stressful experiences. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to synthesize the evidence about interventions to enhance resiliency in managing hypertension or type 2 diabetes in vulnerable populations and to assess the efficacy of these interventions on clinical outcomes. Methods: We searched multiple databases from early inception through February 2015 including randomized controlled trials that enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes or hypertension. All interventions that targeted resilience in vulnerable populations were included. Data were synthesized to describe the characteristics and efficacy of resiliency interventions. We pooled the total effects by calculating standardized mean difference using the random-effects model.