The Buffering Effect of Social Support: Examining Illness Perception and Mental Health Wellbeing among Female Diabetic Patients in Pakistan

The present study assessed the relationships among social supports, illness perception and mental health wellbeing of female diabetic patients in Pakistan and the mediating effect of the illness perception. The research design used was quantitative correlational design and the study sample consisted of 100 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D) women with purposive sampling. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) questionnaire, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ) and Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) were used to gather data. Social support significantly predicted mental health wellbeing with 52.6% of the variance explained (R² = .526, p < .001) and a very strong positive correlation between social support and wellbeing (r = .725, p < .01). There was no significant direct correlation between illness perception and social factors (social support or wellbeing) however this study confirms that social support is a vital protective factor to wellbeing in this group. The results emphasize the importance of culturally responsive, family-focused interventions in diabetes care to improve social dimensions of diabetes care in female patients in Pakistan.