Abstract:Background: Malaysia faces a growing public health challenge with its aging population and the predicted tripling of dementia prevalence by 2050. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): Good Health and Well-Being, this review addresses the urgency to synthesize the ways in which various forms of social support influence dementia care outcomes in Malaysia. Objective: The research objectives were to synthesize systematically empirical Malaysian evidence (January 2015 April 2025) on the effects of emotional, informational, tangible, and multimodal social support on improving QoL outcomes for PLwD and carers. Method: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science following PRISMA guidelines. Extraction was performed on study design, type of support, outcome measures, and effect sizes. Methodological quality was ascertained using JBI checklists. A narrative synthesis and vote-counting approach was used, supplemented by a forest plot of effect sizes of RCTs targeting caregiver burden. Results: Emotional (n=3) and informational (n=4) support interventions were most frequently examined. Interventions in emotional and informational domains consistently reduced anxiety and depression and improved caregiver QoL. Methodological limitations still exist, particularly in the measurement of patient-centered QoL and in the analysis of financial support systems. Conclusion: This review demonstrates that low-cost, scalable telephone and mHealth-based psychoeducation interventions successfully reduce caregiver burden in Malaysia. To advance planetary health equity, Malaysian policymakers need to prioritize pilot research for tangible support such as conditional cash transfers and respite vouchers and mandate the inclusion of patient-reported QoL outcomes in future clinical and community trials. These are essential steps in achieving SDG 3 and ensuring inclusive, sustainable dementia care systems across the Global South.
Keywords: Health Systems and Universal Health Coverage (UHC), Dementia; Social Support, Caregiver Burden, Quality of Life, Malaysia, Systematic Review, PRISMA, SDG 3, Planetary Health Equity
