Family carers are neglecting their own mental health while devoting themselves around the clock to a loved one, according to an analysis of studies involving more than 81,000 carers, published in the journal Psychology & Health.
One in three carers said they wanted advice on available support, yet fewer than one in six had actually sought it. Those affected said they needed help dealing with loss, uncertainty and feelings of guilt.
“Carers have a tendency to put the needs of the person they care for before their own,” said lead author Hannah Isaac of the University of Sydney.
They also tend to play down their own psychological burdens, particularly during the phase when the person in their care was most seriously ill, Isaac said. Yet psychological support would be “particularly valuable” at this stage, she said.
The Australian research team analysed 29 studies from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia conducted over the past 20 years. The studies focused predominantly on women who were mostly caring for a husband or partner with a chronic illness.
Cancer was the most common condition, while others were caring for people with heart disease or Parkinson’s disease, or for people who had suffered a stroke.
In terms of support, carers across all countries also said it was important to maintain social contacts, adapt their interests and goals to their new situation, and cope with changes in their sexual relationships, the analysis found.
Some 40% of carers expressed interest in state-provided services such as a national telephone helpline or disease-specific information, yet only 10% had already used them.
The researchers called for family carers to be routinely screened for psychological strain and their need for supportive care. Depression and anxiety, they said, occur more frequently among family carers than in the general population.
Without adequate support for carers, not only their own well-being but also their ability to care for the person they look after could be impaired. – dpa
