Social support as a mediator variable of the relationship between depression and life satisfaction in a sample of Saudi caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

BACKGROUND: Caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is very challenging. Social support may play a crucial role in helping caregivers to adapt better to their caregiving role. The aim of this study is to explore the role of social support as a moderator variable of the relationship between depression and life satisfaction in caregivers for patients with AD in Saudi Arabia.
METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 122 caregivers for patients with AD completed questionnaires assessing informal social support, depressive symptoms, and general life satisfaction.
RESULTS: The demographic characteristics showed that 79% (n = 96) of caregivers were females and between the ages of 20 and 50. Higher levels of social support positively correlated with reported higher levels of life satisfaction (r = 0.483, p < 0.001). Depression was negatively correlated with social support (r = -0.418, p < 0.001) and life satisfaction scores (r = -0.553, p = < 0.001). Social support was found to be a partial mediator variable, mediating approximately 23.05% of the total effect of depression on life satisfaction (Sobel = -3.065, p = 0.002).
CONCLUSION: Informal social support can act as a mediator variable in the relationship of depression and life satisfaction in caregivers of AD patients. Improving the informal social support networks may help in coping with caregiving burden and better quality of life.