Psychosocial burden, approach versus avoidance coping, social support and quality of life (QOL) in caregivers of persons with dementia in Java, Indonesia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: Dementia-caregiving causes severe distress and has a negative impact on caregivers’ health. This study examined the association of family caregivers’ psychosocial burden and quality of life (QOL), using the revised sociocultural model of stress and coping (rSMSC) (Knight & Sayegh, 2010), in an Indonesian sample. Methods: Participants were family caregivers of persons with dementia living in Java, Indonesia. Caregivers completed the Burden Assessment Schedule (BAS), the WHOQOL-Bref, the Brief-COPE and the Multidimensional Scale of Social Support (MSPSS). Mediator analyses were performed to examine the association between psychosocial burden, OQL, social support and approach versus avoidance coping. Results : 45 Indonesian family caregivers (M = 41 years, SD = 12.38; 77.8% female; 64.4% Cohousing) of persons with dementia ((M = 41 years, SD = 12.38) were involved. Caregivers’ psychosocial burden was negatively associated with their QOL. Avoidance coping showed a significant indirect negative effect of psychosocial burden on their QOL in the physical and psychological (partial mediations) and social domain (complete mediation). Approach coping and social support did not reveal significance in the mediation analyses. Conclusion: Interventions for caregivers should integrate psychoeducation and training in the rSMSC, especially focusing on the benefits and harms associated with the different approach and avoidance coping strategies, on cultural values and their impact on the different coping styles, and how these variables are associated to physical, mental and social health. . Keywords: Caregiver, Dementia, Alzheimer, Stress Process Model, Mediation, Indonesia