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The Royal Commission on Mental Health Victoria now focuses its attention on families and people caring for people with mental illness.
It is estimated that 2.8 million Australians provide daily practical and emotional support to a person who is close to their hearts. About 240,000 of them, or 8.6%, are in the care of a person with mental illness.
And this number is probably an underestimate. Caregivers often take care of relatives facing multiple difficulties. Thus, although they say that they have cared for someone with a physical illness, they may also have mental health problems.
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And people who care for and support a person with a mental illness do not always recognize themselves as "caregivers". They are likely to see their role more simply as that of a partner, parent, sibling, roommate or friend.
We strive to better understand the needs of those who care for and support the million Australians who suffer from depression each year, as well as those who support the 65,000 Australians who attempt to commit suicide.
The demands placed on these caregivers can be constant and overwhelming. We urgently need to better support the invisible work that family and friends do every day to care for Australians with mental illness.
The impact of taking care
As the largest non-clinical workforce among Australians suffering from mental illness, caregivers bring human and economic benefits to the community every day.
It has recently been estimated that mental health caregivers save the Australian government more than $ 13 billion a year. But this group is often unsupported and unpaid (with the exception of a Centrelink caregiver allowance, in some cases).
The practical, physical, economic and emotional requirements of being caregivers can be enormous.
Kylli Kittus / Unsplash
Informal caregivers of people with mental illness could help their loved ones manage their illness, for example by identifying symptoms, developing symptom management strategies, and arranging appointments and medications.
They will often provide practical badistance, for example by baduming more family or financial responsibilities. Finally, they provide ongoing emotional support, for example by being available to listen and let the person know that she is loved.
Research has shown that caregivers often report high emotional distress, difficulties in their relationships, engage in fewer social activities, feel lonely and isolated and have fewer problems. opportunities in education and employment.
Care has also been badociated with an immediate risk of mental health problems, with caregivers consistently reporting significantly higher levels of psychological distress than those in the general Australian population.
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Why caring for Australian caregivers should be a government priority
The case of prevention
Getting people to identify themselves as "caregivers" and freeing themselves from caregivers to prioritize their own well-being is an ongoing challenge.
Another challenge is to ensure that programs that are purposeful and cost-effective are available in all communities.
A survey released last month by the Butterfly Foundation suggested that caregivers acknowledged that their mental health was affected. But often, they did not seek support, citing lack of time, lack of knowledge about available supports and the cost badociated with these reasons.
More and more countries are asking for more and more national investments in the development of prevention programs that respond to the specific needs of people caring for people with mental illness, whether or not they consider their role.
National charities like SANE Australia are working to mobilize and support people caring for people with complex mental illness. The Butterfly Foundation recently dedicated its annual MAYDAYS awareness and advocacy campaign to caregivers of people with eating disorders.
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We participated in the national launch of Partners for Depression, a six-week group program designed to help caregivers of people with depression. Participants learn about depression and its treatment and how to provide positive support to loved ones. The focus is also on the importance of ensuring their physical and mental health and to quickly contact the people who need it.
Participant reports tell us that this approach can reduce psychological distress and help improve well-being and relationships.
The increasing availability of digital and e-health programs for the treatment of mental illness and the improvement of mental health offers an opportunity to think differently about the services provided to families, friends and caregivers.
A call to action
People who love, live with and care for a person with mental illness need timely and equitable access to interventions that improve their well-being and prevent the development of mental health problems.
We need a national program that recognizes the right of people who care for a person affected by a mental illness to not compromise their mental health and well-being because of their role vital caregiver.
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The Royal Victorian Commission, as well as the National Productivity Commission's survey on mental health, offer an opportunity to recognize the important role caregivers play in our mental health service system, the right to those who play a supporting role in the delivery of services, the right of caregivers to benefit from the protection of their mental health and well-being.
Whether support is provided online, face-to-face, by NGOs, through primary care or peer-to-peer, now is the time for coordinated, available and evidence-based responses.
If this article has been a problem for you or if you are worried about someone you know, call Lifeline at 13 11 14.
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