Social support and depressive symptoms among family caregivers of older people with disabilities in four provinces of urban China: the mediating role of caregiver burden

Abstract

BackgroundTo examine the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms of Chinese family caregivers of older people with disabilities, and to evaluate the role of caregiver burden as a potential mediator of that relationship.MethodsA survey questionnaire was completed face-to-face by 567 primary family caregivers of older people with disabilities in four provinces in China. Covariates that may affect depressive symptoms, such as the characteristics of disabled people (socio-economic factors, functional and cognitive capacity) and caregivers (caregiver duration and self-rated health of caregivers) were collected. Social support was measured by the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS); depressive symptoms were assessed by the shortened 10 item version of Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D); and the caregiver burden was assessed by the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI).ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms among caregivers was 37.7%. Higher levels of social support was negatively associated with lower depressive symptoms. This relationship was partially mediated by the caregiver burden, where higher levels of the caregiver burden were negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, caregivers who were women, spent extended time in caregiving and were in poor health, reported significantly higher depressive symptoms.ConclusionsOur results indicated that social support was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in family caregivers and in the caregiver burden. The caregiver burden partially mediated the social support-depressive symptoms association. Interventions for family caregivers should include increasing social support, health monitoring and structured interventions to reduce the caregiver burden and attenuate family caregivers’ depressive symptoms.

Met and unmet care needs of home‐living people with dementia in China: An observational study using the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly

“…In the present study, compared with people with spouses, the group living with others (adult children caregivers, relatives, friends) had higher needs, similar to the results of other studies 9,16 . Compared with a spouse, other caregivers are more likely to be juggling multiple roles, which makes it difficult for them to reconcile the roles of care recipients, 27 they have less contact with the care recipient than spouses would have, 11 are less involved in daily care and even have less exposure to the care recipient 15 . Thus leading to PWD being lonely and having significantly higher unmet needs in intimate relationships 8,9 .…”

“…It was also shown in the present study that 85.1% of PWD were looked after by family. This is not only unconducive to the scientific management of PWD, but also leads to exhaustion of family members 27 . The presented results highlight that based on the opinions of home‐living PWD, dementia‐related needs for care, services and support are often unmet, and similar results were found in community 8 and long‐term care institutions 9,15 .…”

“…There are three types of care modes for older adults in China: home care, community care and institutional care. 8 By the end of 2018, China had 155 000 institutions and facilities for the aged, with a total of 7.448 million beds, which means 30.9 beds per 1000 older people 27 . China's deep‐rooted family traditions, coupled with an underdeveloped dementia service system, have greatly limited the centralized management, treatment, rehabilitation and care of dementia patients.…”

SARS-CoV-2 and Asbestos Exposure: Can Our Experience With Mesothelioma Patients Help Us Understand the Psychological Consequences of COVID-19 and Develop Interventions?

“…Long-term caregivers also developed more somatic symptoms, and the rates of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in this group were 62.5, 20.5, and 36.4%, respectively ( Dhiman et al, 2020 ). Psychological distress in caregivers is also exacerbated by social distancing and restrictions to individual mobility and social activities, as low social support is associated with higher levels of worry and depression ( Zhong et al, 2020 ).…”

Understanding the Impact of Patients’ Disease Types on Caregiving Time and Caregiver Burden: An Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey

“…An informal caregiver is a person who offers unpaid or ill-compensated care to a family member, friend, or partner due to illness-related reasons or old age. Results indicate that informal caregivers often experience substantial physical and psychological health consequences as a result of caregiving, such as fatigue [4,5], loss of sleep [6,7], perceived stigma [8,9], anxiety symptoms [10,11], depression disorders [12,13], worsened subjective wellbeing [14,15], and compromised quality of life [16,17]. Evidence further shows that informal caregivers' selfrated health has been in decline for the past ve years, further widening the gap between caregivers and the general population' health status [18].…”