The Relationship between Social Support and Subjective Well-being in Primary Caregivers with Schizophrenia: The Mediating Role of Just World Belief and Hope

Abstract

Family members of schizophrenia patients play an important role in the daily life of schizophrenia patients, who bear the burden of long-term caregiving and are in a state of stress. The mechanism of social support in the primary caregiver group of schizophrenia on their subjective well-being was still unclear. To explore the mechanisms underlying the development of psychological well-being among primary caregivers with schizophrenia, this study conducted a short-term longitudinal design to examine the direct effect of social support on subjective well-being and the indirect effect of social support on subjective well-being through Just World Beliefs and Hope. 214 primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia were enrolled. This study found that: (1) social support, just world beliefs, hope, and subjective well-being were significantly positively correlated; (2) social support significantly mediated subjective well-being through just world beliefs; (3) social support significantly mediated subjective well-being through hope;(4) Just world belief and hope play a chain mediating role between social support and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Just world beliefs and hope mediated the relationship between social support and subjective well-being in primary caregivers with schizophrenia. This study proved the psychological mechanism that just world beliefs and hope mediate the relationship between social support and subjective well-being, and provided theoretical support for improving the mental health of primary caregivers with schizophrenia.