Mental Health Impacts of Informal Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Informal caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as a critical factor influencing the mental health of carers worldwide. Lockdowns and social-distancing measures intensified the demands on family members and friends who provided unpaid support to older, disabled or clinically vulnerable individuals. Many informal caregivers experienced heightened levels of stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms as a result of increased care intensity, reduced access to formal services and amplified social isolation. Notably, those who commenced caregiving duties during the pandemic reported the most pronounced mental health deterioration, whereas pre-existing carers displayed more varied trajectories, sometimes demonstrating resilience rooted in prior experience. Socioeconomic disparities—particularly lower educational attainment and younger age—further exacerbated psychological strain, pointing to an uneven distribution of risk. The global nature of these findings underscores the need for policy measures that bolster social support networks, deploy targeted mental health interventions for new and at-risk carers, and integrate informal caregivers into emergency preparedness planning. By acknowledging the multifaceted impact of unpaid care on mental wellbeing, stakeholders can craft more sustainable and inclusive responses to current and future public health crises.

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Mental Health Impacts of Informal Caregiving During the COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mental health impacts of informal caregiving during the covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Informal caregiving: Unpaid support provided by family, friends or neighbours to individuals with health-related care needs.

Psychological distress: A spectrum of negative emotional states such as stress, anxiety and depression that can impair daily functioning.

Social isolation: An objective lack of social contact or engagement, often leading to feelings of loneliness and reduced emotional support.

Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL): Standardised measures of self-care and complex daily tasks used to assess functional capacity.

References

1. Does caring for others affect our mental health? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Science & Medicine (2023).
2. Physical and mental health of informal caregivers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. BMC Public Health (2023).