Millions of people around the world care for loved ones who live with a disability or chronic condition. This role can sometimes take a toll on mental health, but what is the impact on caregivers during a pandemic? Medical News Today finds out.
All around the world, millions of people have found themselves in a position where they provide some level of care for loved ones who live with a disability or chronic condition.
According to the International Alliance of Carer Organizations (IACO), there are at least 43.5 million people in the United States, 6.5 million in the United Kingdom, and 2.86 million in Australia who act as caregivers for a family member.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that “informal or unpaid caregivers (family members or friends) are the backbone of long-term care provided in people’s homes.”
However, offering ongoing care to loved ones as they need it can take its toll on mental health, as caregivers may worry about their loved ones’ health or face shifting relationship dynamics and drastic lifestyle changes.
Research has shown that informal caregivers are at a high risk of experiencing chronic stress, as well as anxiety and depression.
But if caregivers face a heightened risk of mental health issues anyway, what extra challenges do they face during the pandemic — a time of turmoil and increased insecurity?
To find out, Medical News Today spoke to two people with family members who live with disabling conditions, asking them about their experiences during the pandemic.
We also spoke to Christine Mortimer, a counselor with extensive experience in advising people with chronic conditions and their caregivers. Mortimer is affiliated with Relate North & South West Sussex, a registered U.K. charity that provides relationship support and mediation.
Mortimer cautioned, first of all, that each care provider will face different challenges from the outset, depending on the specifics of the condition with which their loved one lives.
“The mental health challenges for the carer can [include] lack of sleep because of 24-hour care and the toll that [fatigue] takes on the ability to function, which, in turn, can affect the ability to help with the physical needs of the patient and the effect that can have on the mental well-being of the carer,” she explained to MNT.
“Feelings of failure at not being able to ease the pain and anxiety of the patient can impact on the carer’s own self-esteem and sow seeds of doubt that they are not good enough for the job, leading to feelings of guilt and then low mood when depression could take hold,” Mortimer went on to add.
And this impact becomes even more serious in the context of a public health emergency, such as the current pandemic that has taken the world by storm.
A recent paper in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management explains how the pandemic is likely to raise the stress levels of family caregivers and affect their mental health.
Some of the factors contributing to poorer mental health among caregivers in this period are:
- an increased sense of isolation and reduced access to official sources of support due to physical distancing measures
- increased financial strain
- delays or cancellations in formal primary care services for themselves and their loved ones
Mortimer agreed that caregivers are likely to face an outsized sense of strain at this time.
“In the current […] pandemic crisis, the challenges that carers face normally are exacerbated and heightened by the restrictions and changes to schedules and activities.”
– Christine Mortimer
“Day centers where carers can go and meet with other carers will have been closed. Parents with children [with severe disabilities] will [have] to cope at home because of the risk of sending them to […] a specialist school,” she explained.
“Group meetings for [people with chronic conditions] that offer some respite time for carers will all have been stopped for the time being […], thus adding to the pressure on the carer, which could impact on their mental health.”
Given the shifting social and healthcare conditions during the pandemic, those with family members living with disabling conditions are finding new ways of adapting to the current context.
MNT spoke to Camille, who has a parent with dementia who lives on her own. Camille explained how her parent’s condition has affected her and how the pandemic has exacerbated the situ