This study aimed to identify the mediating effects of care activity and burden in the relationship between dementia patient’s state and caregiver depression and the moderating effects of social support and social activity. To this end, it tested the hypotheses with structural equation model and the analysis results are as follows:
First, it was found that when the patient’s state was worse, caregiver depression increased, as the impact of patient’s state on depression was significant in the positive (+) direction. Second, it was found that the greater the care burden, the higher the level of depression, as the impact of care burden on depression was significant in the positive (+) direction. Third, it was found that the worse the patient’s state, the more the caregiving activity, as the impact of patient’s state on care activity was significant in the positive (+) direction. Fourth, it was found that the worse the patient’s state, the more the caregiving activity, as the impact of patient’s state on care burden was significant in the positive (+) direction. Fifth, it was found that the more the caregiving activity, the greater the care burden, as the impact of caregiving activity on care burden was significant in the positive (+) direction. Sixth, the mediating effect of care burden between patient’s state and depression was significant. Seventh, the mediating effect of care burden between caregiving activity and depression was significant. Eighth, the impact of patient’s state on caregiving activity was greater in the group with higher levels of social activity, as the moderating effect of social activity appeared to influence the relationship between patient’s state and caregiving activity. It was also found that the moderating effect of social activity influenced the relationship between the patient’s state and care burden, as the impact of patient’s state on care burden was greater in the group with lower level of social activity.
Despite these results, this study still has limitations in generalizing the findings to all caregivers of patients with dementia. Moreover, causal associations of factors associated with the caregiver’s depression could not be dertermined. Therefore, further studies need to include a divers group of study subjects and variables to test their structural relationships.
