Family Caregivers Pay a Mental Health Toll

Caregiving is one of the most rewarding things we do. After all, helping others is a basic human instinct. But as anyone who has cared for a loved one can attest, it can also be exhausting, frustrating and often lonely. What we may not realize is just how much of a toll this can take on our physical and mental health.

A recent large-scale study looked at the question of Mental Health Among Caregivers and here’s what they found:

• The number of unpaid caregivers is huge, approaching 40% of the population
• Unpaid caregivers had significantly worse mental health than others
• 2/3 of caregivers described anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts
• Respondents who had help with caregiving had much lower incidents of mental health problems

That last point underscores why it’s so important from a mental health standpoint to seek out help before you are overwhelmed. That help can come in many ways; caregiver support groups, faith communities and in-home care agencies such as Comfort Health. The bottom line is that you don’t have to take all the burden