Mediating effects of family functioning on the relationship between care burden and family quality of life of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia

BACKGROUND: Intellectual disabilities are characterized by constant and complex needs for care that place a heavy burden on the families of affected individuals and affect their overall quality of life. We evaluated the mediating effects of family functioning on the relationship between care burden and the family quality of life of caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities in Mongolia. METHODS: Data were collected from a sample of 150 caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities from October 2017 to November 2017. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the mediating effects of family functioning. RESULTS: Family functioning had a partial mediating effect (β = .702, p < .001) on the relationship between care burden and family quality of life. CONCLUSION: Family functioning should be considered when developing a social support intervention to improve family quality of life among caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities.