What the study found
Perceived social support and resilience partly buffered the link between caregiver burden and perceived stress among informal caregivers of dementia patients. The study also found that caregiver burden varied by the type of caregiving responsibilities provided.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that, alongside elderly patients, informal caregivers also require psychological support and intervention. They suggest that intervention-based programs are important for reducing excessive burden and perceived stress among informal caregivers in Pakistan.
What the researchers tested
The researchers studied 101 adult informal caregivers, defined as immediate family members of dementia patients, aged 18 to 60 years. They used purposive and snowball sampling, and collected data with the Caregiver Burden Scale, Brief Resilience Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support.
What worked and what didn't
The findings supported the hypothesized relationships among the tested variables. Serial mediation showed that perceived social support and resilience partially mediated the relationship between caregiver burden and perceived stress, but no significant interaction was found between perceived social support and resilience in predicting perceived stress.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the study's sample and setting. The findings are based on informal caregivers of dementia patients in Pakistan, so the scope described in the abstract is specific to that group.
Key points
- Perceived social support and resilience partially mediated the link between caregiver burden and perceived stress.
- No significant interaction was found between perceived social support and resilience in predicting perceived stress.
- Caregiver burden varied by the type of caregiving responsibilities provided.
- The study included 101 adult informal caregivers, all immediate family members of dementia patients.
- The authors say caregivers also need psychological support and intervention.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Social support and resilience buffer caregiver stress
- Authors:
- Saba Z. Hayat, Muhammad Saad, Syeda Razia Bukhari, Naila Nazi
- Institutions:
- Bahria University, Iqra University, Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology
- Publication date:
- 2026-04-02
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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