Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41576051›Full record

ArticlePloS one2026

Coping strategies among family caregivers of community-dwelling older adults in Lebanon amid the economic crisis.

Zainab Barakat, Hala Sacre, Sarah El Khatib, Linda Abou Abbas, Marc Barakat, Pascale Salameh, Samar Rachidi

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Article in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zainab BarakatClinical and Epidemiological Research Laboratory, Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6562-2914
Hala SacreInstitut National de Santé Publique d'Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban (INSPECT-LB), Beirut, Lebanon.
Sarah El KhatibInstitut National de Santé Publique d'Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban (INSPECT-LB), Beirut, Lebanon.
Linda Abou AbbasFaculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadat, Lebanon.
Marc BarakatDepartment of Psychiatry, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5453-7602
Pascale SalamehInstitut National de Santé Publique d'Épidémiologie Clinique et de Toxicologie-Liban (INSPECT-LB), Beirut, Lebanon.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4780-0772
Samar RachidiClinical and Epidemiological Research Laboratory, Doctoral School of Science and Technology, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAdopting effective and adaptable coping strategies can help reduce the distress associated with the caregiving burden. Studies assessing coping strategies among caregivers of older adults in the Arab world remain limited. This study aims to assess the coping strategies employed by caregivers of older adults in Lebanon, investigate factors associated with these coping mechanisms, and examine whether social support mediates the relationship between psychological distress and coping amid Lebanon's ongoing economic crisis.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, 544 caregivers of community-dwelling older adults participated. Data were collected online via Google Forms and included several instruments: a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory Scale, the Katz Index of Activities of Daily Living, the Autonomy in Daily Functioning-Contemporary Scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support. Generalized linear models were used to identify factors associated with different coping strategies.

resultsCaregivers primarily relied on problem-focused coping strategies to manage stress, with an average score of 5.73 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.22). Among the various coping methods, religious coping was the most frequently used, with a mean score of 6.82 (SD = 1.50), while substance use was the least commonly adopted, scoring an average of 2.57 (SD = 1.24). Higher household income was significantly associated with greater use of problem-focused coping (B = 0.352; p-value = 0.003). Additionally, higher educational attainment was linked to increased use of problem-focused (B = 0.240; p-value = 0.044) and emotion-focused coping strategies (B = 0.284; p-value = 0.024). Psychological distress was inversely related to emotion-focused and problem-focused coping but showed a positive correlation with avoidance coping. Social support was positively correlated with both emotion-focused coping (B = 0.881; p-value < 0.001) and problem-focused coping (B = 1.005; p-value < 0.001) and partially mediated the association between coping methods and psychological distress.

conclusionLebanese caregivers primarily rely on adaptive coping strategies to manage ongoing difficulties and rarely resort to maladaptive approaches. The findings emphasize the need for caregiver support initiatives that are culturally relevant and psychologically supportive, acknowledging the significant influence of socioeconomic status, psychological distress, and social support on coping behaviors.

Indexed as

Adaptation, PsychologicalCaregiversIndependent LivingAgedAged, 80 and overCoping SkillsCross-Sectional StudiesDepressionFemaleHumansLebanonMaleMiddle AgedSocial SupportStress, PsychologicalSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID41576051
PMCPMC12829931

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.