Objective:

To identify on literature instruments for evaluating the quality of life and work overload of caregivers and their applicability with this population.

Content synthesis:

Integrative literature review in two research periods. In September 2017, 604 abstracts were gathered from PubMed database and 33 more from LILACS, totaling 637 abstracts. An update in September 2020 allowed collecting 137 additional abstracts from PubMed and 4 from LILACS, adding 141 entries to the previous sample. After reading these abstracts, the full texts of 106 articles were examined, from which 62 articles met the inclusion criteria. In total, 80 instruments applied to caregivers were identified in these publications. From this, we sought to determine the existence of validation studies in Brazil, as well as their applicability to caregivers. From the sample of 80 instruments, 39 were not validated in Brazil, 13 were elaborated by authors, and 28 corresponded to validated tools in this country. Out of these, seven were applied to caregivers and the rest of them to general populations. In the analysis of the adequacy and application of the general instruments to this specific population, it was found that the objectives of the studies were met, since several aspects related to work overload and quality of life also apply to the caregiver in charge of a patient at home.

Conclusions:

Findings pointed out the need of creating new instruments and also identify the existing tools available in the literature.

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