Caring while aging: a cross-sectional study in Lebanon on caregiver burden, mental health, and the moderating effects of social and financial resources

A growing number of older adults provide care for spouses or relatives, yet the mental health impact of caregiving, particularly while managing their own health conditions, remains poorly understood. In Lebanon, where formal long-term care services remain limited and caregiving is largely family-based, there is a need to better understand how caregiver burden affects the mental health of older adult caregivers. Therefore, this study examined the association between caregiver burden and mental health among older adult caregivers in Lebanon and the moderating role of social and financial resources. We used baseline data from the Lebanon Study on Aging and HeAlth (LSAHA), a community-based prospective study of older adults aged ≥ 60 years, which included 434 caregivers. Multivariable linear regression models examined associations between caregiver burden (12-item Zarit Burden Interview) and depression (eight-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale) and anxiety (seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale), with interaction terms testing the moderating effects of social (emotional and instrumental support) and financial resources. Caregivers were predominantly female (61.8%), with a mean age of 69 years (± 6.9), and one-third cared for their spouse (33.5%). Those with high caregiver burden, reported by 36.4%, had depression scores that were 7.65 points higher (95% CI: 3.48 to 11.8) and anxiety scores that were 2.84 points higher (95% CI: 0.73 to 4.95) compared to caregivers with low burden. Emotional support significantly attenuated the association between caregiver burden and depression. Financial resources did not moderate the association between caregiver burden and mental health outcomes. This study underscores the public health need for addressing caregiver burden and mental health among understudied older caregivers. Although financial assistance, psychosocial services, and respite care have reduced caregiver burden in other settings, context-specific services and policies in Lebanon warrant evaluation. Future research should account for care recipients’ characteristics and the multidimensional nature of social and financial resources.