Latent transition analysis of perceived social support and associations with caregiver burden, illness cognition, and family resilience in pediatric cancer caregivers: A longitudinal study.
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PURPOSE: To identify latent transition patterns of perceived social support among family caregivers of children with cancer and examine their associations with caregiver burden, illness cognition, and family resilience. METHODS: This is a longitudinal study. A total of 240 caregivers of children with cancer from three pediatric hospitals in China were recruited via convenience sampling from June to December 2022. Participants were assessed at baseline (T1, n = 240), 3-month (T2, n = 204), and 6-month (T3, n = 193). Caregivers completed the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey, Family Resilience Assessment Scale, Caregiver Burden Inventory, and Illness Cognition Questionnaire-Parent. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify distinct social support profiles at each time point. Latent transition analysis was then used to examine the longitudinal transition between these profiles over the six-month period. One-way ANCOVA with post-hoc tests was used to compare caregiver burden, illness cognition, and family resilience across these transition patterns. RESULTS: Four social support profiles were identified: high, moderate-high, moderate-low, and low. Over the six-month period, six transition patterns emerged: stable-high, stable-moderate-high, stable-moderate-low, improved, deteriorated, and fluctuated. One-way ANCOVA indicated significant differences in family resilience, caregiver burden, and the subdimensions of illness cognition (helplessness, acceptance, and disease benefits) across these patterns. CONCLUSION: Social support among caregivers demonstrates heterogeneous and dynamic transition patterns, which generally stabilize approximately three months after baseline. To enhance caregiver well-being, healthcare providers must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. They should identify distinct support transition patterns and provide personalized interventions that strengthen social support systems, thereby effectively facilitating family adaptation.