TABLE 3.

Themes and Representative Quotes of Strategies to Promote Emotional Support for Caregivers

Caregiver Emotional Need Identified	Proposed Delivery for Support Mechanism	Representative Quotes
Support reporting role	ICU diary	14: “I did, on her request, I tried to diary the hospital stay on a calendar. This was post discharge, but my memory was still pretty fresh… as much detail as I could, so I just wrote that down [on a calendar] and gave it to her. She asked for it. She asked to see pictures.”
Validation and catharsis	Peer support—connect with others via shared experience of caregiver role	10: “…somebody for the family to walk alongside, too, that’s been there…at least you know you’re not alone.” 8: “Finding people who I felt like I could talk to was another challenge. We …. kept saying things like ‘we feel like we’re contagious.’ Like if people listen too deeply or too intently to our story, they themselves might become situated in the same place that we were.”
Spirituality	Offer spiritual support across the recovery arc	11: “Prayer. Having some sort of spiritual purpose in what you’re going through and trying to find a similar learning.”
Independence from patient	Separate support pathways	6: “Being able to break away.”
	Physical space	12: “I’m still kind of on the payroll, so to speak, trying to get his life back in order… It’s like a second job… You need permission to also take care of yourself.”