Social support and well-being in dementia family caregivers: The mediating role of self-efficacy

Abstract

Objectives: The study investigated self-efficacy as a possible mediator of the relationship between the social support and depressive symptoms of primarily informal caregivers, mainly family members, of patients with dementia in Hong Kong.

Method: One hundred and thirty-four caregivers were interviewed. Path analyses were conducted using a self-efficacy scale that consists of three subscales assessing three domains of caregiving self-efficacy. Self-efficacy for obtaining respite, responding to disruptive patient behaviours, and controlling upsetting thoughts about caregiving were measured.

Results: Results showed that self-efficacy acted as a partial mediator between social support and depressive symptoms of these caregivers.

Conclusion: Findings suggest that self-efficacy may function as a mechanism through which social support influences depressive symptoms, and the importance of this self-efficacy mechanism can be domain-specific.

Keywords:

• social support
• well-being
• dementia
• caregivers
• self-efficacy

Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grant APH68 of the Department of Social Sciences of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We also thank the Hong Kong Alzheimer's Disease Association as well as Psychiatry Departments of the United Christian Hospital and Tai Po Hospital for facilitating our access to the caregivers.