Introduction: Stroke significantly disrupts daily life, particularly for young and middle-aged women who navigate distinct roles and occupations in work, caregiving, and personal development. For this demographic, re-establishing occupational engagement presents unique challenges that complicate their recovery. However, such experiences remain largely underexplored, highlighting a critical gap in the understanding of their post-stroke journeys.
Objectives: This qualitative systematic review aimed to examine the post stroke-experiences of women aged 18-65 from an occupational perspective of health.
Methods: Five databases were systematically searched for qualitative studies exploring occupational engagement of women aged 18–65 post-stroke. Two reviewers independently appraised the methodological quality of eligible studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. Data were extracted using the JBI qualitative data extraction tool and synthesised through meta-aggregation.
Results: Seven studies were included in the review, where 103 findings were extracted and aggregated into 18 categories. Six synthesised findings emerged, relating to impacts on (1) daily life, domestic roles and identity (2) work (3) relationships (4) health and recovery (5) adjustment and coping and (6) experiences with healthcare.
Conclusion: Disruptions to occupational engagement were profound and enduring across various life domains. These were deeply interwoven with shifts in identity, self-efficacy, and relationships, influencing individual experiences of doing, being, belonging, and becoming. Gendered expectations and societal attitudes, often compounded by systemic barriers, added further dimension and complexity to recovery. These findings underscore the need for equitable, person-centered occupational therapy interventions that address these unique challenges and promote occupational engagement for young and middle-aged women after stroke.