The Effect of an Empowerment Program Based on Social Cognitive Theory on Caregiver Burden, Spiritual Care, and Social Support in Caregivers of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Introduction: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) management increasingly burdens family caregivers. While many educational programs focus on clinical knowledge, there is a gap in interventions that address caregivers’ internal psychological resources. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a social cognitive theory-based empowerment program on reducing caregiver burden and enhancing spiritual care and social support in IHD patient caregivers. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 80 family caregivers of IHD patients were assigned to intervention or control groups. The intervention group received a 5-session social cognitive theory (SCT)-based program, while the control group received usual care. Data on caregiver burden, spiritual care, and social support were collected at three time points using validated questionnaires. Primary analysis was conducted using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), with effect sizes (Cohen’s d) and 95% confidence intervals reported. We hypothesized that the intervention group would show significantly greater improvements. Findings: The results indicated that the mean age of the participants was 50.5 ± 11.0 years, of whom 72.5% were female and 27.5% were male. The empowerment program led to significant improvements across all key outcomes. Compared to the control group, the intervention group experienced a large reduction in caregiver burden (Cohen’s d = 1.85) and significant increases in spiritual care (d = 1.52) and social support (d = 1.25) (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: This study provides promising evidence that an SCT-based empowerment intervention is an effective solution for reducing caregiver burden and improving caregivers’ mental and spiritual health in the short term. The sustained effects at one-month follow-up suggest its potential value. These findings warrant confirmation in larger, multicenter trials with longer follow-up periods before broad implementation.