Alexandra Smith
The impact of anxiety and depression on Mental Health Carers
Caring for someone can take up a lot of your time and energy, it can be a very stressful
time for some. Your physical and mental health can be negatively affected by the stress and
anxieties of the caring role and you may not even be aware that it is happening. Being stressed is
a natural response to situations in life, but if it is happening to often it can affect your health. It is
easier to notice a physical issue then to notice mental illness and a lot of people do not realise
that they can be connected. A report done by the PROS (Population Research and Outcome
Studies) in South Australian found that 55% of the carers had poorer health because of their
caring role. 35% of the carers reported that they feel that their health has been moderately or
majorly affected by caring. 1
Caring for a loved one can be difficult, with a lot of your time focused on the person and not
on yourself. Lack of time can disrupt your work and social life, you may even have had to quit
your job or work part time. You may also feel you do not have time for relationships, hobbies
and activities, or that you don’t have positive support. Some carers tend to have a feeling of loss,
stress, sadness and/or anxiety for their loved on in social situations and/or when dealing with
challenge behaviour. This could all lead to you having anxiety and/or depression if you become
overwhelmed and don’t look after your own physical and mental health on a daily bases. 2
Anxiety, depression and stress can have a negative effect on your body because of the
reaction created in the central nervous which can lower your immune and cardiovascular
systems, if it is ongoing and not looked after. Having anxiety attacks (which is also referred to as
a fight or flight response) takes a lot of energy and other resources away from the rest of the
body, which can negatively affect your long term health outcomes if the attack happen too often.
Anxiety, depression and stress can also lead to physical problems such as infections, diabetes,
high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, depression, aggression and creates a higher risk of
developing dementia. The National Heart Foundation Australia found that there a strong link
between depression, having a lack of social support and being social isolated and having
coronary heart disease. 3
Alexandra Smith
Level of Depression
DASS Depression Scale
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Normal
Mild depression
Carer's Average
Moderate depression
Severe depression
Extremely severe
depression
Out of 3645 carers who participated in this Depression survey (from The Wellbeing of
Australians – Carer Health and Wellbeing), 35% do not have depression, 9% have mild
depression and the majority of the carers 56% have a higher depression.
Level of Stress
DASS Stress Severity Scale
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Normal
Mild
Carer's Average
Moderate
Severe
Extremely severe
It is clear in this DASS Stress graph (from The Wellbeing of Australians – Carer Health and
Wellbeing) that it is almost the same as the Depression graph, which isn’t surprising since
depression and stress are usually related to each other.
Alexandra Smith
What you can do to help protect your Physical and Mental health
-
Have training and education yourself about the mental illness to understand the nature
and prognosis for the illness or issues you are dealing with, gaining a sense of control and
awareness. Also learning about how to cope with the symptoms as best you can, can help
with lowering stress levels.
-
Have a plan/strategy for the care routine, e.g. keeping a check list for medication or a
time table on what need to be done in a day. This can help you be organised and aware
about what is going on.
-
Being involved in emotional/carers support groups may help, where you can talk without
judgment in a safe environment. Gaining tips and tricks or support from other people
going through the same sort of thing can help, as can the extra social connections.
-
Be involved in self-help, spiritual, cultural and/or religious support groups (these groups
may not be for everyone). The groups can help you feel connected and at pace, helping
lower anxiety and depression.
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Have strategies for dealing with unusual or disturbed behaviours, try to remember to keep
calm and positive in these sort of situations. Have a list of numbers you can call in
emergency situations, be prepared.
-
See a counselor or other professional services, as everyone needs support with dealing
with the condition and emotional troubles, and/or life in general. Have family counseling
if everyone is confortable in doing so, as it is good to have open and trusting relationships
which support good mental health.
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Know when to ask for help or getting respite for the person, it is good to know your
limits and to avoid an overload of stress and anxiety. You can’t help anyone else if you
don’t look after yourself.
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Socialise with friends and/or family, it is good for your own mental health to unwind,
relax and have a good time. It is healthy to have some time apart from the person you are
caring for, even if it is just for an hour for so.
-
Strive to have a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle, there is a strong link between
mental health and physical wellbeing. Eating a healthy is important for one’s well-being
and gives you more energy for the daily activities.
Alexandra Smith
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Also try to get some fresh air, sunlight and exercise regularly, this helps with your
Vitamin D intake and keeps you fit. Physical activities such as swimming or running can
help with your heart and lungs stronger and healthier, and also helps with the release of
chemicals in the brain that improve your mood and outlook.
-
Learn about fun ways to keep a healthy positive mind frame, e.g. write your daily
experiences in a book or draw how you feel and try to look on the bright side of life, e.g.
the glass is half full.
Remember, you need to look after your own health to keep on caring!
Unsure where to go or who to turn to? Please call Carers NSW (1800 242 636) for
emotional support or ARAMFI (1800 655 198) for information about local mental
health services available to you.
Reference
1. http://health.adelaide.edu.au/pros/docs/reports/general/carers_report.pdf
2. http://www.bjmp.org/content/psychological-distress-carers-people-mental-disorders
3. http://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/~/media/ProgramsandProjects/Publications/Attachments/Researc
h%20Summ%20BOD_FINAL_Web.ashx
4. http://www.deakin.edu.au/research/acqol/reports/survey-reports/survey-017-1-report.pdf (Graphs
and table). The graphs and table are statistics from “The Wellbeing of Australians – Carer Health
and Wellbeing.” Carers Australia, Australian Unity, and Deakin University worked together with
the carers for Carers Association and Carers Associations to complete the survey, collected the
data and put it all together. The data was put together in graphs using the Depression, Anxiety
and Stress Scale (DASS).
5. http://www.bjmp.org/content/psychological-distress-carers-people-mental-disorders (What you
can do to help protect your Physical and Mental health)