The mental load of caregiving: At least 40pc of caregivers suffer from depression
A recent study that surveyed 707 unpaid caregivers living in Australia between November and December 2023 found that unpaid caregivers deliver care at a seemingly unsustainable rate, and data suggests many are doing so while managing their health issues.
There wasn't a more defining moment than when Grace Kibatha, 29, decided to be her mother's caregiver.
After her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, she knew she needed to be at home and by her side.
"It was a primal instinct, you can say. I was laid off in October 2020 and had a 10-month-old baby by then. I promised myself to shelf my career ambitions and raise him through casual jobs. When he was three years old and ready for school, I started job hunting and secured interviews. Then, the tragedy hit us," she explained.
Again, she put everything on hold, including having her son join school and be a full-time caregiver to her mother until early this year, when her mother got back on her feet. It was a challenging job, Grace says.
"Witnessing her navigate through the treatment- the fatigue, the vulnerability, and just how simple tasks that she could previously do with ease had become monumental, was very difficult to deal with. When I think about that season, it wasn't the taking care of her or the fact that I had to shoulder other responsibilities that wore me down but the emotional terrain. It was treacherous, to say the least," she says.
Like Grace, many caregivers "fall into the work", and studies show that as many as 40-70 per cent of caregivers experience symptoms of depression.
A recent study that surveyed 707 unpaid caregivers living in Australia between November and December 2023 found that unpaid caregivers deliver care at a seemingly unsustainable rate, and data suggests many are doing so while managing their health issues.
At the surface level, the report says, "It is an admirable role, but when you start peeling back the layers, it becomes obvious how much caregiving demands from the people who do it regularly. There are physical requirements, to be sure, but the mental, emotional, and even spiritual obligations of caregiving take a toll that largely goes unnoticed."
Another recent study conducted by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows two-thirds of unpaid caregivers experience mental health symptoms, such as depression or anxiety, compared to one-third of the non-caregiving population.
HIV-infected adolescents
In 2022, a study on the economic and mental health of primary caregivers of perinatal HIV-infected adolescents from Kilifi County found that more than 10 per cent of the 121 primary caregivers screened positive for symptoms of depression.
A total of 44 had minimal, 64 had mild, and at least 10 had more than moderate depressive symptoms.
While a definitive link wasn't established, the findings suggest a trend - caregivers experiencing depression may incur higher costs associated with caring for their loved ones.
The mental toll borne by caregivers was a central theme at the recently concluded WomenLift conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The conference brought together global health leaders to discuss emerging health issues.
"We must acknowledge the poverty level in Africa," noted Evelyne Opondo, a Nairobi-based human rights and gender expert.
"A lack of social protection in the health system results in the caregiving burden falling on the shoulders of the individual, predominantly women, due to the gender norms within communities. Caregiving is also characterised by a lack of data. There is a need to generate more research and evidence to understand the problem and make specific policy recommendations."
Dr Olivia Vélez, a health informaticist, emphasized the need to scale up mental health support and invest in social networks and community support in low-resource settings.
"We need to think of care work as part of healthcare and not as something separate of extra, but as a part of the economy & our social contract," she remarked.
According to Isaac Maweu, a counselling psychologist, symptoms of caregiver stress can include disrupted sleep due to worry, exhaustion and loss of appeal, replaced by a sense of isolation and emotional turmoil – anxiety, depression, and feeling overwhelmed.
"Relationships with family and friends can also become strained, and in some cases, caregivers may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms like misusing alcohol or drugs to manage the immense stress," he said.
