Objective To explore the mediating effect of family resilience on the relationship between activities of daily living of stroke patients and the burden of the primary caregivers, so as to provide reference for carrying out nursing intervention to effectively reduce the burden of the primary caregivers of stroke patients. Methods A total of 286 stroke patients and their primary caregivers were selected using convenience sampling method.The general information questionnaire, Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index, Shortened Chinese version of the Family Resilience Assessment Scale, and Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview were used for the investigation. Results The total scores of stroke patients′ activities of daily living, family resilience and caregivers′ burden were (40.86±13.14), (101.85±14.78) and (40.98±13.68), respectively.The total score of stroke patients′ activities of daily living was positively correlated with the total score of family resilience, and the two were negatively correlated with the total score of the burden of the primary caregiver (all P＜0.05).Family resilience had a partial mediating effect between activities of daily living of stroke patients and the burden of the primary caregivers, accounting for 37.44% of the total effect size. Conclusion Stroke patients′ activities of daily living can affect the burden of the primary caregivers through the mediating role of family resilience.Medical staff should take family resilience as the intervention target while promoting the recovery of stroke patients′ activities of daily living, fully excavating the overall strength within the family, promoting the improvement of family resilience level, and thereby reducing the burden of the primary caregivers of stroke patients.