Abstract
BackgroundThere are indications that informal caregiving negatively impacts caregivers’ mental health, but this was hardly examined using diagnoses of mental disorders and most studies used convenience samples without including non-caregivers as reference group. We examine whether informal caregivers more often have any emotional disorder, i.e. mood or anxiety disorder, than non-caregivers. Identify key risk indicators for any emotional disorder among informal caregivers in the general population.MethodsData were used from the second wave of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2), a nationally representative face-to-face survey (n = 5,303; aged 21–68). Respondents were defined as informal caregiver when they provided unpaid care in the 12 months preceding the second wave to a family member, partner or friend who needed care because of physical or mental problems, or ageing. Twelve-month DSM-IV diagnoses of emotional disorders were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0. Key risk indicators were identified using the following aspects: prevalence, odds ratio, attributable risk proportion, and number needed to treat. Sociodemographic, caregiving-related and other characteristics were considered as risk indicators.ResultsIn the past year, 31.1% of the respondents provided informal care, which ranged in time spent (8 or more hours/week: 32.1%) and duration (longer than 1 year: 48.7%). Informal caregiving was not associated with having any 12-month emotional disorder. Among caregivers, giving care to a first-degree relative, partner or close friend and giving emotional support increased the risk for any emotional disorder. Moreover, using all aspects, target groups were identified for prevention: caregivers without a job, living without a partner, and with a lack of social support.ConclusionsAlthough informal caregivers do not have an increased risk of emotional disorders, key risk indicators were identified using four aspects. Especially informal caregivers with limited resources (unemployment, living without a partner, lack of social support) may benefit from targeted prevention whereas general prevention measures may be desirable for carers with a burdensome care situation (giving care to a close loved one or providing emotional support).
Highlights
There are indications that informal caregiving negatively impacts caregivers’ mental health, but this was hardly examined using diagnoses of mental disorders and most studies used convenience samples without including non-caregivers as reference group
Using data from the second wave of the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2), a psychiatric epidemiological study among the Dutch general population aged 21 to 68 years at that wave, we examined i) whether informal caregiving is associated with presence of any emotional disorder in the past year; and ii) which characteristics are risk indicators for any emotional disorder among informal caregivers
Informal caregivers did not differ from non-caregivers with regard to employment status, partner status, having children at home, lack of social support or having a chronic physical disorder
Summary
There are indications that informal caregiving negatively impacts caregivers’ mental health, but this was hardly examined using diagnoses of mental disorders and most studies used convenience samples without including non-caregivers as reference group. Approximately one third of the adult general population in Western countries provides informal care [7]. Previous research has shown that informal caregiving negatively impacts caregivers’ well-being as it affects their daily life and is associated with mental health problems such as depression (for overviews, see [8,9,10,11]). About 15% of the adult population aged 15–64 provided informal care and a slightly increased risk of mental disorders was observed among these caregivers [21]
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