Associations among caregiving burden, social support, hope, mastery, and depressive symptoms in family caregivers of children and young people with mental illness: a chain mediation analysis.
9 affiliations
- 1Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, 172 Tongzipo Road Yuelu District, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.
- 2Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. [email protected].
- 3Mind China, Shanghai, China.
- 4Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- 5Shenzhen East & West Social Work Service, Shenzhen, China.
- 6The Nueva School, 131 E 28th Ave, San Mateo, CA, 94403, USA.
- 7Department of Psychology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- 8Department of Psychological Medicine, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- 9Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Abstract
Background
Caregiving burden and depressive symptoms are common among family caregivers of children and young people (CYP) with mental illness, but the interplay among psychosocial and coping resources are not well understood. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between caregiving burden and depressive symptoms and the roles of social support, hope, and mastery in this relationship among Chinese family caregivers of CYP with mental illness.Methods
Totally 333 Chinese family caregivers of CYP with mental illness were recruited, who completed the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, Oslo 3-item Social Support Scale, the Herth Hope Index, and the Pearlin Mastery Scale between September 2024 and February 2025. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and the PROCESS Macro model 6 in regression analysis were applied.Results
Results showed that 63.7% of participants reported caregiving burden and 48.0% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Moreover, caregiving burden (r = 0.652, p < 0.001), social support (r = -0.392, p < 0.001), mastery (r = -0.500, p < 0.001), and hope (r = -0.507, p < 0.001) were related to depressive symptoms. Importantly, social support, hope, and mastery formed multiple indirect pathways between caregiving burden and depressive symptoms.Conclusion
Mental healthcare workers should be aware that majority of family caregivers experience caregiving burden and depressive symptoms, and that programs enhancing family caregivers' social support, hope, and mastery should be considered to support these family caregivers.
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BibTeX
@article{guan2026associations,
title = {{Associations among caregiving burden, social support, hope, mastery, and depressive symptoms in family caregivers of children and young people with mental illness: a chain mediation analysis.}},
author = {Ziyao Guan and Hao Yao and Kunmei Li and Wanqi Sun and Yandan Peng and Jing Yang Catherine Chen and Enzhao Cong and Wenhong Cheng and Jianhua Chen and Yifeng Xu},
journal = {BMC psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08493-0},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958140},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Associations among caregiving burden, social support, hope, mastery, and depressive symptoms in family caregivers of children and young people with mental illness: a chain mediation analysis.
AU - Ziyao Guan
AU - Hao Yao
AU - Kunmei Li
AU - Wanqi Sun
AU - Yandan Peng
AU - Jing Yang Catherine Chen
AU - Enzhao Cong
AU - Wenhong Cheng
AU - Jianhua Chen
AU - Yifeng Xu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/03
JO - BMC psychiatry
DO - 10.1186/s12888-026-08493-0
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42958140
AB - Background Caregiving burden and depressive symptoms are common among family caregivers of children and young people (CYP) with mental illness, but the interplay among psychosocial and coping resources are not well understood. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the relationship between caregiving burden and depressive symptoms and the roles of social support, hope, and mastery in this relationship among Chinese family caregivers of CYP with mental illness.Methods Totally 333 Chinese family caregivers of CYP with mental illness were recruited, who completed the 12-item Zarit Burden Interview, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, Oslo 3-item Social Support Scale, the Herth Hope Index, and the Pearlin Mastery Scale between September 2024 and February 2025. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, and the PROCESS Macro model 6 in regression analysis were applied.Results Results showed that 63.7% of participants reported caregiving burden and 48.0% reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Moreover, caregiving burden (r = 0.652, p < 0.001), social support (r = -0.392, p < 0.001), mastery (r = -0.500, p < 0.001), and hope (r = -0.507, p < 0.001) were related to depressive symptoms. Importantly, social support, hope, and mastery formed multiple indirect pathways between caregiving burden and depressive symptoms.Conclusion Mental healthcare workers should be aware that majority of family caregivers experience caregiving burden and depressive symptoms, and that programs enhancing family caregivers' social support, hope, and mastery should be considered to support these family caregivers.
SN - 1471-244X
ER -