We as caregivers are at increased risk for mental health and physical health problems

[missyrand]

Today I read about this study in the UK: medpagetoday.com/psychiatry...

Unsurprisingly to me as a caregiver for someone living with melanoma, the results indicated that when caring for someone who is terminally ill with cancer, they were surprised at the sheer scale of the effect of caregiving, for physical and mental health effects.

To me, this is a duh. But I'm a believer in the potential for science to help, so this contributes to the body of work.

Here are some take home bullets I'm sharing from the study authors. Try to read it with a British accent because the spelling is solidly that: journals.sagepub.com/doi/fu...

What is already known about the topic?

Family carers make a crucial contribution to end-of-life care, but existing research indicates they suffer worse mental health than other carers, study controls, patients and the general population, with prevalence estimates for clinically significant depression at 39%–57% and anxiety at 34%–47%.

Previous findings are unlikely to be representative of the population of carers providing end-of-life care, as studies have either recruited carers through specialist or palliative care settings where carers may be better supported or have failed to fully capture care during the final months of life.

What this paper adds?

This study provides the most representative data on carer health during end-of-life caregiving for people with cancer to date, based on a national census retrospective survey.

Carers’ level of clinically significant psychological morbidity (83%) during caregiving was found to be five to seven times higher than general population levels, far higher than indicated by previous evidence.

Carers’ general health during caregiving was lower than for the general population, but differences were more marked among younger carers with scores converging towards older age.

Implications for practice, theory or policy

The prevalence of clinical morbidity among carers providing end-of-life care indicates a substantial, but hitherto hidden, public health problem.

Findings emphasise a need for more consistent assessment and support for carers as part of end-of-life care, with signposting to more specialist mental health input where needed.

Take home message for me to apply today: make my yearly check up appointments. Keep auditing my mental health and accepting help from friends and family who offer kindnesses large and small.

Peace y'all

Missy

[Vflowers]

Thanks for sharing Missy

[Cassidywoods]

Thanks for sharing the information. Bringing your aging parents into your home to live out their final years can be both a blessing and a curse. While you love having them around, the constantly increasing level of care they require can become overwhelming if you aren’t prepared. You must make sure that your parents will have everything they need to live comfortably. By the same token, you have to learn to care for yourself in the process so you can be there when they need you the most.