Emotional Regulation, Psychological Resilience, and Depressive Symptoms among Caregivers of Patients with Psychiatric Disorders

Background: Caregivers of psychiatric patient are exposed to significant psychological burdens, with depression being a common consequence. Emotional regulation and psychological resilience are recognized as potential protective factors that may help caregivers manage these burdens and reduce depressive symptoms. Aim: To explore the relation between emotional regulation, psychological resilience, and depressive symptom among caregivers of patients with psychiatric disorders. Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional methodological approach characterized this research. Setting: The study was executed within the psychiatric outpatient clinics situated at Port Said Health Hospital, along with an affiliated Addiction Treatment facility. Subjects: A purposive sample of 384 individuals serving as caregivers for psychiatric patients. Data collection tools: Four distinct tools: a questionnaire designed to gather personal and clinical characteristics, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Psychological Resilience Scale, and An Arabic Version of Beck Depression among caregivers of psychiatric patients. Results: More than three-quarters (78.4%) of the psychiatric patients’ caregivers exhibited infrequent habitual engagement with emotional regulation strategies. Concurrently, over half (61.5%) of this caregiver cohort displayed an elevated degree of resilience, while more than one-third (38.3%) reported experiencing moderate depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The total scores for psychological resilience, emotional regulation and depressive symptoms were found to be negatively associated. Furthermore, a statistically significant positive connection has been observed between the total emotional regulation score and the total psychological resilience score. Recommendations: The study recommended that an educational program aimed at enhancing emotional regulation skills and employing resilient coping strategies may assist in alleviating depression symptoms.