Journal article
Examining Social Support and Digital Literacy Among Caregivers of People Living With Dementia Receiving Hospice Services
American journal of hospice & palliative medicine
07 Dec 2025
PMID: 41353626
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Background Although previous research has highlighted the protective effect of social support in caregiving contexts, further investigation is needed to understand its complex roles in modifying and explaining the impact of caregiver stressors. This cross-sectional study assessed family caregivers' social support, digital literacy, and caregiving-related stressors, examining their relationships and impact on mental health outcomes (anxiety and depressive symptoms). Specifically, we investigated (1) whether digital literacy interacted with stressors to influence caregivers' perceived social support and (2) whether social support mediates the relationship between caregiver stressors and mental health.Methods Data were collected from 308 caregivers of people living with dementia receiving hospice care using structured assessments, including validated measures of social support, digital literacy, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and key sociodemographic characteristics.Results The direct and total effects of caregiver stressors on mental health outcomes were statistically significant, whereas the indirect effects mediated by social support were not. Although tangible support was individually associated with both outcomes, the overall mediating effect of social support was not accounted for by either emotional/informational or tangible support alone. The moderating effect of digital literacy was also not statistically significant.Conclusions The association between caregiver stressors and mental health appears to be more directly driven than mediated by social support. The absence of significant indirect or moderating effects highlights the complexity of these relationships and underscores the need for future research to explore additional pathways, contextual influences, and conditions under which aspects of social support or digital literacy may exert greater impact.
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Details
- Title
- Examining Social Support and Digital Literacy Among Caregivers of People Living With Dementia Receiving Hospice Services
- Creators
- Hannah Cho (Corresponding Author) - University of PennsylvaniaLiming Huang - University of PennsylvaniaJustine S. Sefcik - Drexel UniversityNancy A. Hodgson - University of PennsylvaniaKaren Hirschman - University of PennsylvaniaKarla Washington - Washington University in St. LouisDebra Parker Oliver - College Station Medical CenterGeorge Demiris - University of Pennsylvania
- Publication Details
- American journal of hospice & palliative medicine
- Publisher
- Sage
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- R01AG069936; T32NR009356 / National Institutes of Health; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Doctoral Nursing
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001631480100001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105023878014
- Other Identifier
- 991022145521704721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Health Care Sciences & Services