The Mediating Role of Guilt in the Relationship Between Suffering and Depression Among Caregivers of Elderly Patients with Life-Threatening Diseases

Abstract

Objective: With the increasing elderly population, the prevalence of life-threatening diseases has also risen, leading to a higher demand for informal caregiving alongside professional care. Family members, serving as informal caregivers, face significant physical and psychological consequences, including depression. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the mediating role of guilt in the relationship between the experience of suffering and depression among caregivers of elderly patients with life-threatening diseases.

Methods and Materials: In this study, a correlational-descriptive method was utilized. A sample of 240 participants was conveniently selected from the oncology, CCU, and ICU departments of Imam, Fatemeh-Zahra, Bu Ali Sari, and Razi Qaemshahr hospitals. Participants responded to Beck's Depression Inventory (1996), Schulz's Suffering Scale (2010), and Eysenck's Guilt Inventory (2007). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software.

Findings: The analysis revealed that depression in caregivers can be explained through the mediation of guilt, based on their experiences of suffering. Suffering has a direct effect on depression among caregivers. Additionally, suffering directly affects the sense of guilt in caregivers; similarly, guilt directly impacts their depression. Indirect effects of suffering on depression through the mediating role of guilt were also identified.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, interventions aimed at reducing depression in caregivers of elderly patients with life-threatening diseases should pay special attention to the variables of suffering and guilt.