Caregivers' Burden and Mental Health of the Caregivers of β-Major Thalassemia Patients: Mediating Role of Religious Coping

Abstract

Background: Caregiver burden among those caring for patients with thalassemia major in Pakistan poses significant psychological challenges. The role of religious coping mechanisms in alleviating psychological distress and enhancing well-being among caregivers has been highlighted in prior research, suggesting a complex interplay between caregiver strain, coping strategies, and mental health outcomes. Objective: This study aims to investigate the relationships between caregiver burden, positive religious coping, and mental health outcomes, specifically psychological well-being and distress, among caregivers of thalassemia patients in the Twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Methods: Employing a cross-sectional design, the study included 180 caregivers of thalassemia patients, recruited through non-probability purposive sampling from major thalassemia centers and hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Data were collected using the Zarit Caregiver’s Burden Scale, the Brief Religious Coping Scale, and the Mental Health Inventory. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the data, using SPSS and AMOS software, with a focus on the mediating role of positive religious coping between caregiver burden and mental health outcomes. Results: The analysis revealed that caregiver burden significantly predicted the use of positive religious coping (β = .32, p < .001) and was negatively associated with psychological well-being (β = -.33, p < .001) while positively associated with psychological distress (β = .23, p < .01). Positive religious coping positively influenced psychological well-being (β = .28, p < .01) and negatively influenced psychological distress (β = -.21, p < .05). The model explained 38.2% of the variance in psychological well-being and 34.1% in psychological distress. Conclusion: The findings underscore the significant impact of caregiver burden on the mental health of caregivers, with positive religious coping serving as a beneficial mediating factor. Enhancing positive religious coping among caregivers may be a viable intervention strategy to improve their mental health outcomes.