The mental health of family carers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Swiss cohort study

Cédric Follonier, Nick Pullen, Hélène Baysson, María-Eugenia Zaballa, Francesco Pennacchio, Stephanie Schrempft, Sara Levati, Mayssam Nehme, Idris Guessous, Silvia Stringhini, Elsa Lorthe.
Mental health of informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Swiss cohort study Swiss Medical Weekly, March 2025, doi: 10.57187/s.3884

Abstract

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health measures have disrupted healthcare systems and may have affected the mental health of informal carers, due to increased responsibilities and limited access to support services. The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of psychological distress in family carers and non-caregivers, and to identify the risk or protective factors associated with this distress in family carers during the pandemic.

Methods: Data were collected from participants in Specchio-COVID19, a population-based cohort based in Geneva, Switzerland. Psychological distress was measured in June 2021 using a questionnaire (GHQ-12). The prevalence of this distress was compared between family carers and non-caregivers. Risk and protective factors for psychological distress among carers were explored using logistic regression.

Results: Of the 5416 participants, 1086 (20%) said they were helping someone non-professionally with activities of daily living and were considered to be family carers. Psychological distress was more common among family carers than among non-caregivers (41% versus 37%, p = 0.010). Among family carers, several factors were associated with an increased risk of psychological distress: limited social support, caring for someone suffering from a mental illness, living more than 10 km from the person being cared for, feeling more isolated in their caring role, worrying about their ability to provide help in the event of COVID-19 or quarantine, and reduced availability of healthcare professionals.

Conclusion: Family carers suffered more psychological distress than non-caregivers during the pandemic. This study highlights the importance of public health policies that strengthen support networks, whether formal or informal, and that provide rapid solutions to ensure continuity of care, by supporting both family carers and those being cared for.

Link to the article in English