This review substantiates that caregiver burden is due to the unrelenting nature of complex dialysis-specific activities although resilience often develops. Additional research is necessary to understand social support in this context and how health teams can assist caregivers further.

SUMMARY Background Recent studies indicate that informal caregivers provide support to family members who are undergoing haemodialysis although the amount and type of activities provided and the burden of this is not well‐known. Objectives To analyse the burden and support activities of informal caregivers caring for adults receiving haemodialysis. Methods A cross‐sectional study recruited 178 adult informal caregivers (family members or close friends) of patients who had been undergoing haemodialysis for more than three months. Caregiver burden was measured by the Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS). Difficulty and time‐spent on caring tasks were assessed using the Oberst Caregiver Burden Scale (OCBS). Demographic characteristics were also collected. Results Most informal caregivers were female (55.6%) between 30 and 60 years of age (66%) and were a spouse of the person receiving haemodialysis. Overall, informal caregivers reported a high level of burden in caring (M = 40.15, standard deviation [SD] = 10.46) with 80.9% identifying the level as severe. However, the caring activities were perceived as slightly difficult (M = 24.5, SD = 8.81) and not requiring much time (M = 29.47, SD = 8.75). Predictors of greater informal caregiver burden were having their own health problems, greater time required to provide care, and doing more difficult tasks (R2 = 0.43, p < 0.01). Conclusion While the caregiving activities were not reported to take much time, there was a high level of burden on informal caregivers. Renal nurses are ideally placed to assess for caregiver burden and to provide education and support to them.

Background: Being on haemodialysis can lead to many burdens on patients' lives.Social support for patients is crucial; however, whether social support affects health outcomes including both depression, anxiety and health-related quality of life is not well understood.Objectives: To explore the relationship between social support, psychological status, and health-related quality of life of people undergoing haemodialysis. Design: A cross-sectional study. Participants: Convenience sampling recruited 388 patients from one dialysis centre. Measurements: Survey data collected included demographic and clinical data, the Medical Outcomes Social Support Survey, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Short-Form Health Survey 36. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the direct and mediation effects of social support on health outcomes.Results: Participants' ages ranged from 19 to 84 years and most had undergone haemodialysis for more than 5 years (53.2%). Overall, there was a moderate level of social support, and although tangible support was high, emotional-oriented support functions were missing. Participants reported a high level of anxiety, moderate levels of depression, mild levels of stress, and impaired physical and mental health.Greater social support independently and positively affected mental health, and also reduced the negative influences of depression on the mental health component but not the physical health component. Social support, depression, anxiety and participation in social groups explained 48% of the variance in mental health.Conclusions: People undergoing haemodialysis require both tangible and emotional social support. When there is enough social support, there are positive effects on reducing depression and improving mental, but not physical health.