Mediation effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between perceived social support and resilience in caregivers of patients with first-stroke in China: a cross-sectional survey

ABSTRACT

Background

Self-efficacy, perceived social support, and resilience in caregivers of first-stroke patients are closely related, while the interaction mechanism remains unclear. This research explores the mediation effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived social support and resilience in caregivers of first-stroke patients in China.

Methods

Convenience sampling was designed and used to recruit participants from the General Hospital of Northern Theater in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China, from February to October 2022, in which 207 self-reported participants completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and General Self Efficacy Scale (GSES). In addition, the mediation effect of self-efficacy between perceived social support and resilience was determined by the PROCESS macro for SPSS.

Result

Among the 207 caregivers of patients with first-stroke, the mean CD-RISC, MSPPS and GSES scores were (72.17 ± 11.28), (71.17 ± 8.99), and (29.64 ± 5.03) respectively. Caregivers’ self-efficacy was positively correlated with perceived social support (r = 0.439, p < 0.01) and resilience (r = 0.730, p < 0.01). Self-efficacy served a mediation function partially between perceived social support and resilience, whose effect accounted for 52.90% of the total.

Conclusion

Both simple and mediation roles of perceived social support and self-efficacy are established in the relationship of resilience among caregivers of first-stroke patients. Positive social support and self-efficacy are two important targets for future interventional studies, and interventions on them may synergistically improve resilience. Hence, the nurses and community workers should correctly evaluate social support and self-efficacy, confirm the health education requirements, and implement counseling intervention to protect and improve the health of first-stroke patients and their families.

KEYWORDS:

• Caregiver
• self-efficacy
• perceived social support
• resilience
• mediation effect
• community nurse

Disclosure statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and publication of this article.

Author contributions

All the authors made substantial contributions to editing and revising of the manuscript. Ruihang Ma, Sitong Wang and Hongxu Jin were responsible for the study design. Sitong Wang, Ruihang Ma and Qingwen Lu drafted the manuscript. Dan Zhang and Liqun Wang was responsible for the statistical analysis，Yu Zhou had revised the article. All the authors listed have approved the manuscript that is enclosed.

Ethics approval

Approved by the Institutional Research Ethics Committee of General Hospital of Northern Theater, Shenyang, Liaoning province, P.R. China. Project Number: Y(2021)013. Before the formal investigation, informed consent had been obtained from all caregivers of first-stroke patients.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.