Caregivers and Clinical Health Psychology

An informal caregiver, or caregiver, is an individual who provides unpaid services to a family member or friend with a physical or mental illness or condition. As the demands on caregivers are great, individuals in this role often experience multifaceted burden, including financial, schedule, and physical or health-related burden. Research has identified caring for patients with high levels of cognitive impairment and patients with low functional status as particularly predictive of burden. Furthermore, caregivers report depressive disorders, anxiety, distress, and even posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The picture is not all bleak, however, as some research identifies the potential for caregivers to experience positive psychosocial sequelae, including posttraumatic growth (PTG), benefit finding (BF), resilience, and feelings of accomplishment. A support system consisting of national organizations as well as psychosocial and meditative interventions exists for caregivers; however, such services are often underutilized due to barriers, such as stigma, to accessing mental healthcare. Future research should focus on identifying and overcoming such barriers that caregivers face and providing support through all phases of the caregiving trajectory, including post-caregiving.