COVID-19 and UK Family Carers: Policy Implications

Overview

Journal Lancet Psychiatry

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2021 Sep 19

PMID 34537103

Citations 12

Authors

Juliana Onwumere

Cathy Creswell

Gill Livingston

David Shiers

Kate Tchanturia

Tony Charman

Alisa Russell

Janet Treasure

Marta Di Forti

Emilie Wildman

Helen Minnis

Allan Young

Annette Davis

Elizabeth Kuipers

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Informal (unpaid) carers are an integral part of all societies and the health and social care systems in the UK depend on them. Despite the valuable contributions and key worker status of informal carers, their lived experiences, wellbeing, and needs have been neglected during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Health Policy, we bring together a broad range of clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience as informal carers to share their thoughts on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on UK carers, many of whom have felt abandoned as services closed. We focus on the carers of children and young people and adults and older adults with mental health diagnoses, and carers of people with intellectual disability or neurodevelopmental conditions across different care settings over the lifespan. We provide policy recommendations with the aim of improving outcomes for all carers.

Citing Articles

Working Carers in Europe and How Their Caring Responsibilities Impact Work-Family Life Conflict: Analysis of the European Quality of Life Survey.

Hlebec V, Monarres M, Sadl Z Healthcare (Basel). 2024; 12(23).

PMID: 39685037 PMC: 11641055. DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12232415.

Knowledge Families Hold: Co-Production and Co-Research With Mental Health Family Carers in Understanding Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Walters C, McDonald E, Sheers C, Hawkins K, Solich H, Anderson J Health Expect. 2024; 27(6):e70093.

PMID: 39506501 PMC: 11540934. DOI: 10.1111/hex.70093.

Unpaid caregiving and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic-A systematic review of the quantitative literature.

Ervin J, Fleitas Alfonzo L, Taouk Y, Maheen H, King T PLoS One. 2024; 19(4):e0297097.

PMID: 38635604 PMC: 11025839. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297097.

Impact of informal care on the mental health of caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fleitas Alfonzo L, Taouk Y, Emerson E, King T J Public Health (Oxf). 2023; 45(4):e668-e676.

PMID: 37786356 PMC: 10687605. DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdad193.

Mental health and self-rated health of older carers during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from England.

Price D, Di Gessa G Aging Ment Health. 2023; 28(1):103-111.

PMID: 37482075 PMC: 10803633. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2023.2236569.

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