最准的六合彩论坛

The mental health of people comes at a cost when they take on unpaid caring roles for friends and family. That鈥檚 according to from St George鈥檚, University of London and 最准的六合彩论坛 which is published today in聽The Lancet Public Health.

Becoming a聽carer聽was linked to increased psychological distress for聽carers of every age聽in the study, including those aged 16-49. Mental health function also declined when becoming a聽carer聽in those aged 30-64.聽

The researchers say this mental health change in carers across the UK should spearhead national changes to the way they are supported to avoid a decline in their own health and wellbeing, not forgetting younger caregivers.

This evidence聽coincides with publication of a landmark聽APPG report聽on young and young adult carers聽whichreveals聽the vast numbers聽of younger carers who聽are notidentified early enough,聽with an聽average waiting time聽of three years聽until聽young carers聽get聽linked to any聽support.

As the UK population ages and the cost-of-living rises, unpaid care of family and friends has become an increasingly important part of care in most countries. The United Nations estimate that unpaid carers meet 75-90% of care needs聽[1], and although young adults are often overlooked, they make up at least聽376,000 of the carers across the UK聽[2].

Previous research has found that the general health of unpaid carers is poorer than non-caregivers. But until now, there has been little research into how people鈥檚聽mental聽health changes when they start being a caregiver, and whether this varies by age,聽gender聽and the amount of care they provide.

Dr Rebecca Lacey,聽lead author聽and聽Reader in Social and聽Lifecourse聽Epidemiology in the Population Health Research Institute at St George鈥檚, University of London said:

鈥淵ounger carers are often overlooked as caring is seen as something that older adults do.

鈥淲e urge health leaders to take this evidence seriously and ensure that health practitioners quickly identify carers of their patients, including those who are younger adults, so their health can also be reviewed. This is going to be crucial to break the cycle of care need.鈥�

Researchers used data from聽more than 17,000聽peoplein聽the UK Household Longitudinal Study between 2009 and 2020 to investigate mental and physical health changes around the transition to becoming a caregiver for the first time in adults as young as 16聽years of age.聽

Data was collected聽on聽16,906聽people聽from the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) which measures psychological distress and聽on聽17,909聽people from聽the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12) which measures physical and mental functioning聽[3].聽The team聽looked聽at the聽mental and physical health of caregivers eight years before, during,聽and聽eight years聽after becoming a聽carer, comparing them with non-caregivers who were otherwise similar.

They looked聽at four different life stages - early adulthood (16-29 years), early mid-adulthood (30-49 years), later mid-adulthood (50-64 years), and later life (65+ years).There were more women than men聽who became聽caregivers in every age group, but聽the effect of becoming a carer on health did not differ for men and women.

Compared to non-caregivers, carers聽aged 16-29,聽30-49聽and 50-64聽years聽had the聽largest increase聽in聽psychological distress聽when becoming a聽carer聽with聽a聽0.37, 0.39聽and 0.39 point聽increase聽in GHQ score, respectively.聽Carers aged聽30-49聽and 50-64聽had the largest decrease in mental health function, with a聽0.54and聽0.46聽point聽reduction聽in the SF-12 score, respectively.

Although聽these are modest聽changes,聽researchers say聽they聽unequivocally聽warrant the need for action聽to protect the聽declining聽mental health of聽people when becoming聽caregivers.

The team聽also聽found that people who provided a high intensity of care (20 or more hours per week) experienced increased psychological stress and decline in mental health.聽In carers 30 years of age and above, poorer mental health persisted for several years after becoming a caregiver聽so early identification is key to preventing long-term mental health effects.聽

Physical health did not change upon becoming a聽carer, but there was evidence of poorer physical health prior to caregiving聽compared to non-caregivers.

Professor Anne McMunn, Professor of Social Epidemiology at 最准的六合彩论坛, said:聽鈥淚t鈥檚 less common for people to become a caregiver in early adulthood when there are likely to be many competing social roles such as post-secondary education and relationships, as well as establishing a career. Early and mid-adult caregivers were likely to be caring for a parent, representing a challenging role reversal. Together these factors could contribute to why psychological distress was higher in these age groups.鈥�

Rohati Chapman, Carers Trust鈥檚 Executive Director for Programmes, Policy & Impact, said:聽鈥淐arers Trust welcomes this much-needed research showing that unpaid carers are at risk of poorer mental health and wellbeing. Our latest adult carer survey found that almost half of unpaid carers are not getting the support they need. This was particularly the case for carers from聽minoritised聽ethnic communities, LGB+ carers, older people, women, and those from poorer backgrounds. In a separate Carers Trust survey, young carers also told us that mental health support is their top priority, with many saying the intensity of their caring role is increasing. Unpaid carers are making huge sacrifices to look after family members and friends. It is vital their health and wellbeing should not suffer as a result. They must have access to effective mental health provision in their area and to dedicated carer support when and where they need it. Our network of local carer organisations聽are聽ready to help with this but it is clear that support must be ramped up across the board.鈥�

This study was funded by the聽UK Economic and Social Research Council.

Case study

Jordyn,聽young聽adult聽carer, said:聽鈥淚 have experienced a deep-rooted feeling of guilt for prioritising my own mental health over caring for my dad. I was in hospital for my mental health and all I could think about was who would help my dad. Who would do his medication? Who would make him food? Who would help him get up and down stairs? The harsh truth is that us young carers don鈥檛 care for ourselves, and it鈥檚 tough but we鈥檙e not our own priority. We even go as far as to mask our symptoms and struggles because we don鈥檛 want to be the problem for someone else. We break down in silence and go longer without聽getting help because we have someone else that we are responsible for. We carry huge burdens and still go on normally. This needs to change and there聽has to聽be better support.鈥�