Natural Support for Canadians with Disabilities: A Scoping Review
Keywords:
Natural support, Canadians with disabilities, access to support, family support network, non-family support, social support, social networks, social inclusion, scoping review.Abstract
Background: Natural supports provide crucial emotional, informational, and instrumental support for people with disabilities and can facilitate social inclusion and belonging. Minimal research explores natural support in Canadian contexts for people with disabilities. Purpose: This scoping review identifies how natural supports for adults with disabilities in Canada are described in published research literature. Method: Using Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, coupled with recommendations from Levac et al., and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for scoping reviews, we searched a range of academic databases for relevant empirical studies related to the following research question: How are natural supports for adults with disabilities in Canada described in published research literature? Results: Fifteen articles met the inclusion criteria. Family and non-family support systems and other social networks provided crucial natural support to Canadians with disabilities. We organized content related to the role of natural supports into the categories of: (a) being financially secure; (b) contributing to and participating in caring and inclusive communities; (c) being respected and empowered to make decisions; (d) knowing the loving support of friends and family; and (e) choosing a place to live and call home. Caregiver burnout and stigmatization of disability were reported as barriers to natural support, and formal and natural support provision at times, overlapped. There was a notable absence of information related to having a well-planned future, and limited diverse representation in the studies. Conclusion: Support is vital to the wellbeing of individuals with disabilities in many different life domains. This scoping review reveals a dearth of research on natural supports in Canada, and calls for increased engagement with and recognition of natural supports from a diversity of perspectives.
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