An
interesting story out of
Australia this week reported on the health problems
that many
carers of family members can have themselves.
A study of 1000 Aussie carers by the charity
Wesley Mission found that caring
of loved ones came at a profound cost.
Its 'Keeping minds Well: Caring Till it
Hurts' report found almost 90% of
carers looking after a spouse or relative with a
mental illness reported an
adverse impact on their own physical or
mental health.
Three out of four carers surveyed also said their role had negatively
affected their relationship with family and friends, while 57% said their
employment and finances had suffered as a consequence.
"They more often than not sacrificed their time, money and even their
careers", said Wesley Mission chief executive the Rev Keith Garner.
"Their caring comes at a cost, with an an overwhelming number declaring that
their caring experience as a child provided a lasting negative into adult
life."
Rev Garner said the challenge was to better support cares and reduce the
stigma associated with caring."This is a challenge for all mental health
providers.
As a
New Zealand resident carer of a family member myself, I would hope that
mental health providers would heed such a message.
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