Affiliate stigma, perceived social support, and caregiver burden among caregivers of people with substance use disorders in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Caregivers of individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) commonly experience affiliate stigma, low social support, and high burden. However, little is known regarding how these experiences differ across the sociodemographics and characteristics of Saudi caregivers. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 209 caregivers recruited from the outpatient clinics of a governmental mental health hospital and from online caregiver support groups. Data were collected via the Affiliate Stigma Scale, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Zarit Burden Interview-Abridged Version. The data were analysed via SPSS version 26.0 via descriptive statistics, independent-sample t tests, and one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc comparisons, and the significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: High affiliate stigma was reported by 58.4% of the caregivers and was higher among those who were older, female, had low income, were unemployed, and were a spouse or parent (p < 0.05). Perceived social support differed by sex and employment status, with males and employed caregivers reporting higher scores for family and significant-other subscales (p < 0.05). A high caregiver burden was observed in 51.2% of the participants, particularly among spouses and parents (p = 0.012). CONCLUSION: Sociodemographic characteristics strongly influence levels of affiliate stigma, perceived social support, and the burden experienced by caregivers of people with SUD. These findings highlight the need for targeted, culturally specific interventions and sensitive support services addressing high-risk groups such as older female caregivers, those with lower incomes, and close family members. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.