Mental Health of Caregivers

We have come a long way from considering psychology as an important field of study to finally having mental health workers and institutions helping people to solve their problems, release stress, solve relationship issues, treat mental disorders, etc. The increase in awareness regarding the importance of mental health is gradual but effective. We have various fields of study within psychology to cater to different needs of society like counseling, sports, developmental, clinical, child psychology, etc. During these past few months of the pandemic, a lot of webinars and workshops have been held focusing on the different types of therapies, self-care, anxiety and how to deal with it, stress management regarding school children, college students, job workers, and geriatric. The responses to these programs have also been overwhelming. But I found one area for which either we don’t bother to think or there is minimal awareness of the same, that is, “Mental Health of Caregivers”.

This article will shed light on the families who are usually the caregivers at the primary level. They may take care of paralyzed patients or patients with chronic illness or their old parents at home. Members of the family devote their whole time, taking care of the old, selflessly. Some of the patients may show gratitude but others don’t. Now we can’t blame them as they are old and have become more sensitive and ruder due to their illness or the helplessness they feel inside. Sometimes the old parents don’t even bother to cooperate with their children even though they try their best in taking care of them. This puts a lot of pressure on the caregivers. There are constant fights and aggressive attitude between the members. Continuous conflicts can be seen between spouses if one of their parents are ill and the other spouse has to take care of them without question They are bound to stay at home and don’t get a chance to go out of the house even for a day or two. Constant alertness and worrying about future health deterioration makes the family environment unhealthy and unstable. The children get affected too due to this constant tension in the house.

The members might not be financially strong to hire a nurse or a helper. The expenses rise up due to costly medicines and doctor visits adding up to more pressure in earning money. They avoid inviting people over too either for not having enough space in the house of the patients might create some problems. Therefore, making the family be less social than before which further makes it difficult to talk or share their problems with someone. The members have to compromise a lot during these times. The system of old age homes is still not very preferable in India or are too expensive to afford. Families also don’t think of old age homes as a solution because they are afraid of society blaming them for not being caring enough. But I think it’s high time, we normalize the idea of Old Age Homes with better facilities and affordable expense. The idea of being left out by children should be changed to the idea of being in a safe space with helpers and medical attention.

The problem with this whole scenario is that these issues are never discussed openly and therefore don’t seem to be a huge problem. But if you peek into these lives, you can observe both good and disturbing atmosphere. We need workshops discussing “how to take care of one’s own mental health while being a caregiver to a patient”, “how to deal with geriatrics”, “family bonding exercises”, “awareness that the members can seek therapy too”. These programs might help in bringing a healthier environment in the house with reduced conflicts and better relations.