RESEARCH WEEKLY: Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Family Caregivers By Kelli South (June 15, 2022) Lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic impacted everyone who experienced them, often leading to more stress and worry about the future. A new study published in BMC Public Health examined the effects of a lockdown from the perspective of family caregivers for individuals with severe mental illness. The study found that family members experienced increased stress and worry about their loved ones and a majority noticed a deterioration in their loved ones’ mental health over the duration of the lockdown. Study details The study authors conducted a survey of caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness living in Norway between May 15 and June 15 in 2020. The lockdown evaluated in the study took place in Norway from March 12 to April 6, 2020, during which time schools were closed, work from home was encouraged, and many non-emergency mental health services were closed. There were 279 caregivers surveyed and the survey included both fixed and open-ended questions to gauge opinions on the lockdown. The respondents reported being a family member to someone with bipolar disorder, psychosis, or both bipolar disorder and psychosis. Results Seventy-one percent of survey participants reported that they believed their loved one experienced some level of mental health deterioration during the lockdown, with 33% saying that their loved one experienced deterioration to a large extent. Many caregivers reported experiencing extreme exhaustion, increased worry about their loved one’s illness, and an increased feeling of responsibility for the health care of their loved one. Additionally, 85% of respondents expressed a concern that they would not be able to get their loved one treated through a mental health service if their illness were to deteriorate during the lockdown. The authors found that this concern, as well as concern for their own health, was significantly less prominent for caregivers who had previously participated in psychoeducation for family members. This result suggests that increased contact with mental health services may increase trust in the system and create more opportunities for contact with mental health professionals outside of the normal channels. Implications The authors noted a relationship between a caregiver’s own ability to sleep, concentrate and function and their worries about their loved one’s mental health, finding that those who were more worried about the mental health and actions of their loved ones had more negative health symptoms of their own. Family caregivers are often vital parts of the health care that individuals with severe mental illness receive, and the health and well-being of these caregivers is important not only for themselves, but for their loved ones. Thus, the authors call for a recognition of the importance of family caregivers in the mental healthcare system, the need for increased communication between families and mental healthcare providers, and the creation of a contingency plan for future crises that may occur and impact the stability of a person with a severe mental illness. According to the authors, improving and increasing access to psychoeducation and other family-based interventions are options for mitigating potential negative effects of future situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, that decreased access to the usual mental health services. References Mork, E., Aminoff, S. R., Barrett, E. A., et al. (June 2022). COVID‑19 lockdown – who cares? The first lockdown from the perspective of relatives of people with severe mental illness. BMC Public Health. Kelli South is the research & policy manager at the Treatment Advocacy Center. View as Webpage To receive Research Weekly directly in your email inbox on a weekly basis, click here. Questions? Contact us at [email protected] Research Weekly is a summary published as a public service of the Treatment Advocacy Center and does not necessarily reflect the findings or positions of the organization or its staff. Full access to research summarized may require a fee or paid subscription to the publications. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not solicit or accept funds from pharmaceutical companies. Treatment Advocacy Center | 200 N Glebe Rd, Ste 801, Arlington, VA 22203 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!