Health and wellbeing in informal caregivers and non-caregivers: a comparative cross-sectional study of the Swedish general population

Abstract

BackgroundInformal caregiving by relatives is a great resource for individuals as well as for society, but the caregiving role is associated with health problems for the caregiver. This study aimed to compare caregivers’ self-rated health, number of recent days with poor health and psychological wellbeing with that of non-caregivers in a general Swedish population.MethodsFrom 2004 to 2013, 90,845 Swedish people completed a postal questionnaire about their health, number of recent days with poor health during last month, psychological wellbeing and if they were performing caregiving or not. Descriptive statistics, chi-square analysis, ANOVA, logistic regressions and negative binomial regression models were used to investigate associations between being a caregiver or not and health and wellbeing. Negative binomial regression was used to assess the relation between caregiver status and recent days with poor health or functioning.ResultsEleven percent reported having a caregiving role. Caregivers reported poorer self-rated health compered to non-caregivers, also in adjusted models; odds ratio (OR): 1.07 with a 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.13. Caregivers also reported lower psychological wellbeing compared to non-caregivers; OR: 1.22, CI: 1.15-1.30. Caregiving status was associated with more recent days with poor physical health and more recent days with poor mental health.ConclusionsThis study suggests that caregivers have worse perceptions in self-rated health and psychological wellbeing compared with non-caregivers, indicating that the role of caregiver is adversely associated with health. This association also appears in terms of reporting days of poor health in the last month. The underlying mechanism of these associations, including the potential detrimental health effects of being a caregiver, needs to be investigated in longitudinal studies.

Informal caregivers who are interested and do make use of information and communication technologies

“…[28,[32][33][34][35][36] Similar to previous studies, this study shows that caregivers are at risk of physical and mental ill health if they do not receive support from the municipality and county council. This in contrast to a study by Gautun et al, [37] where only a few informal caregivers indicated worsened health resulting from caregiving duties.…”

“…The demand for informal care will likely grow significantly. According to Berglund et al, [28] this will be an increasing problem for society, as it is increasingly depending on informal caregivers to provide help, support and even care to their aged relatives on a regular basis. Therefore, ICT-based support can be a valuable complement in the future, as suggested by previous studies.…”

“…Therefore, it could be beneficial for informal caregivers to be offered regular health checks and a carer support plan where healthcare professionals coordinate necessary support. [28,34,35] This professional coordinator could, for example, be a contact nurse or informal caregiver advisor/advocate in the municipality who can follow up on the issues that arise in connection with informal caregiving. The contact nurse or caregiver advisor/advocate follows up with the carer support plan and ensures that time is given for regular health checkups for the informal caregiver.…”

Perceived health, caregiver burden, and quality of life in women partners providing care to Veterans with traumatic brain injury

“…Although research has consistently demonstrated that informal caregivers are at risk for emotional and physical health problems [8][9], those caring for individuals with cognitive disabilities (such as those associated with TBI) may be at particular risk for negative emotional outcomes including depression, grief, anxiety, and decreased quality of life (QOL) [10][11]. Compared with noncaregivers, informal caregivers also report more frequent health problems and somatic symptoms (e.g., fatigue, headache, and low back pain) and take more medications [12][13].…”

The Effect of Current Family Situation on Slow Walking Speed at Old Age

“…Men, on the contrary, are more likely to provide some kind of practical help for a mother or a neighbour/friend (Jegermalm 2006). At the same time Swedish caregivers have worse perceptions concerning self-rated health, psychological wellbeing, and reporting days of poor health in the last month (Berglund et al 2015). Thus, after the death of a partner, women are released from an immense burden and face a new life situation in which they have to be more self-reliant.…”