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. 2025 Feb 11;25(1):567.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-025-21654-2.

Exploring the role of perceived social support, and spiritual well-being in predicting the family Caregiving burden among the parents of disabled children

Mohammad Taher  1 , Nemat Azizi  2 , Mohammadreza Rohani  3 , Parisa Hosseini Koukamari  4 , Fatemeh Rashidi  5 , Marzieh Araban  6 , Anthony Coetzer-Liversage  7   8 , Mahmood Karimy  9
Affiliations

Exploring the role of perceived social support, and spiritual well-being in predicting the family Caregiving burden among the parents of disabled children

Mohammad Taher et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background and aim: Caregiver burden encompasses the physical, emotional, financial, and social challenges faced by individuals caring for a sick or disabled person. Spiritual well-being and social support have been identified as protective factors against psychological and physical issues, potentially alleviating caregiver burden. This study aims to explore the relationship between spiritual well-being, perceived social support, and caregiver burden among parents of children with disabilities.

Method: A descriptive-analytical study was conducted with 260 family caregivers, selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Novak and Gaug Caregiving Burden Scale, the Paloutzian-Ellison Spiritual Well-being Scale, and the Zimet Social Support Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 22, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: Among the caregivers, 148 (61.4%) reported a high level of caregiving burden, while 81% indicated moderate spiritual well-being and 14.5% reported high spiritual well-being. A significant negative correlation was found between spiritual well-being, social support, and caregiving burden (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that spiritual well-being (β = -0.41) and social support (β = -0.33) were the most significant predictors of caregiving burden. Additional significant predictors included social activities, underlying health conditions, age, caregiving duration, insurance coverage, and marital status (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The high caregiving burden observed in this population, along with the inverse relationship between social support, spiritual well-being, and caregiving burden, underscores the need for strategies to enhance social support and spiritual well-being. These factors may serve as cost-effective, accessible interventions to alleviate caregiving burden.

Keywords: Caregiving burden; Perceived social support; Spiritual well-being.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Saveh University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran (Registration No: IR.SAVEHUMS.REC.1400.010). Written informed consent obtained from participants. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Chart 1
Chart 1
The status of caregiving burden criteria for in-home caregivers
Chart 2
Chart 2
The status of spiritual health for in-home caregivers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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