Exploring the role of perceived social support, and spiritual well-being in predicting the family Caregiving burden among the parents of disabled children

Background and aim Caregiver burden encompasses the physical, emotional, financial, and social challenges faced by individuals caring for a sick or disabled person. Spiritual well-being and social support have been identified as protective factors against psychological and physical issues, potentially alleviating caregiver burden. This study aims to explore the relationship between spiritual well-being, perceived social support, and caregiver burden among parents of children with disabilities. Method A descriptive-analytical study was conducted with 260 family caregivers, selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Novak and Gaug Caregiving Burden Scale, the Paloutzian-Ellison Spiritual Well-being Scale, and the Zimet Social Support Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS version 22, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results Among the caregivers, 148 (61.4%) reported a high level of caregiving burden, while 81% indicated moderate spiritual well-being and 14.5% reported high spiritual well-being. A significant negative correlation was found between spiritual well-being, social support, and caregiving burden (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that spiritual well-being (beta = -0.41) and social support (beta = -0.33) were the most significant predictors of caregiving burden. Additional significant predictors included social activities, underlying health conditions, age, caregiving duration, insurance coverage, and marital status (p < 0.05). Conclusion The high caregiving burden observed in this population, along with the inverse relationship between social support, spiritual well-being, and caregiving burden, underscores the need for strategies to enhance social support and spiritual well-being. These factors may serve as cost-effective, accessible interventions to alleviate caregiving burden.