Informal Caregiver Social Network Types and Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience.

ABSTRACT

Little is known about whether and why social networks protect mental health among informal caregivers. This study examined the association between informal caregiver social network types and depressive symptoms and the mediatory mechanism of psychological resilience. Latent class analysis, applied to cross-sectional data on 278 Singaporean caregivers, identified four social network types restricted (42%), friend (16%), family (21%), and diverse (21%). Path analysis showed that the diverse social network type, compared to the restricted social network type, was associated with a lower level of depressive symptoms, and psychological resilience fully mediated this association. Interventions should help caregivers to maintain social networks with their family and friends.

Informal caregiver social network typologies were explored using data from Singapore.Diverse, friend, family, and restricted social network types were identified.Diverse social network type was negatively associated with depressive symptoms.Psychological resilience fully mediated the association.