Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany
Abstract Background While the relation between care involvement of informal caregivers and caregiver burden is well-known, the additional psychosocial burden related to care involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been investigated. Methods A total of 1000 informal caregivers, recruited...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-04-01
|
| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06359-7 |
| _version_ | 1831747770809057280 |
|---|---|
| author | Andrea Budnick Christian Hering Simon Eggert Christian Teubner Ralf Suhr Adelheid Kuhlmey Paul Gellert |
| author_facet | Andrea Budnick Christian Hering Simon Eggert Christian Teubner Ralf Suhr Adelheid Kuhlmey Paul Gellert |
| author_sort | Andrea Budnick |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background While the relation between care involvement of informal caregivers and caregiver burden is well-known, the additional psychosocial burden related to care involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been investigated. Methods A total of 1000 informal caregivers, recruited offline, participated in a cross-sectional online survey from April 21 to May 2, 2020. Questionnaires were used to assess COVID-19-specific changes in the care situation, negative feelings in the care situation, problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures, concerns/excessive demands, loss of support, change in informal caregivers’ own involvement in care and problems with provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information, and to relate these issues to five indicators of care involvement (i.e., being the main caregiver, high expenditure of time, high level of care, dementia, no professional help). Binomial and multiple regression analyses were applied. Results Across indicators of care involvement, 25.5–39.7% reported that the care situation rather or greatly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those caring for someone with dementia or those usually relying on professional help. In a multiple regression model, the mean number of involvement indicators met was associated with age (β = .18; CI .10–.25), excessive demands (β = .10, CI .00–.19), problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures (β = .11, CI .04–.19), an increase in caregiving by the informal caregivers themselves (β = .14, CI .03–.24) as well as with no change in the amount of caregiving (β = .18, CI .07–.29) and loss of support (β = −.08, CI −.16–.00). No significant associations with the mean number of involvement indicators met were found for gender, educational level, change in the care situation, negative feelings, and provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information. Conclusion Those caregivers who perceived extensive care burden were those who suffered most during the pandemic, calling for structural support by the healthcare system now and in the future. Trial registration This article does not report the results of a health care intervention on human participants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:39:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b585ae00b769494a9667fa10f82a2e63 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T21:39:44Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-b585ae00b769494a9667fa10f82a2e632022-12-21T18:49:24ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632021-04-0121111110.1186/s12913-021-06359-7Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in GermanyAndrea Budnick0Christian Hering1Simon Eggert2Christian Teubner3Ralf Suhr4Adelheid Kuhlmey5Paul Gellert6Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation SciencesCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation SciencesCenter for Quality of Care (ZQP)Center for Quality of Care (ZQP)Center for Quality of Care (ZQP)Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation SciencesCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, and Institute of Medical Sociology and Rehabilitation SciencesAbstract Background While the relation between care involvement of informal caregivers and caregiver burden is well-known, the additional psychosocial burden related to care involvement during the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been investigated. Methods A total of 1000 informal caregivers, recruited offline, participated in a cross-sectional online survey from April 21 to May 2, 2020. Questionnaires were used to assess COVID-19-specific changes in the care situation, negative feelings in the care situation, problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures, concerns/excessive demands, loss of support, change in informal caregivers’ own involvement in care and problems with provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information, and to relate these issues to five indicators of care involvement (i.e., being the main caregiver, high expenditure of time, high level of care, dementia, no professional help). Binomial and multiple regression analyses were applied. Results Across indicators of care involvement, 25.5–39.7% reported that the care situation rather or greatly worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those caring for someone with dementia or those usually relying on professional help. In a multiple regression model, the mean number of involvement indicators met was associated with age (β = .18; CI .10–.25), excessive demands (β = .10, CI .00–.19), problems with implementation of COVID-19 measures (β = .11, CI .04–.19), an increase in caregiving by the informal caregivers themselves (β = .14, CI .03–.24) as well as with no change in the amount of caregiving (β = .18, CI .07–.29) and loss of support (β = −.08, CI −.16–.00). No significant associations with the mean number of involvement indicators met were found for gender, educational level, change in the care situation, negative feelings, and provision, comprehension & practicability of COVID-19 information. Conclusion Those caregivers who perceived extensive care burden were those who suffered most during the pandemic, calling for structural support by the healthcare system now and in the future. Trial registration This article does not report the results of a health care intervention on human participants.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06359-7Informal caregiverFamily caregiverSARS-CoV-2COVID-19Psychosocial burdens |
| spellingShingle | Andrea Budnick Christian Hering Simon Eggert Christian Teubner Ralf Suhr Adelheid Kuhlmey Paul Gellert Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany BMC Health Services Research Informal caregiver Family caregiver SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Psychosocial burdens |
| title | Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany |
| title_full | Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany |
| title_fullStr | Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany |
| title_short | Informal caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic perceive additional burden: findings from an ad-hoc survey in Germany |
| title_sort | informal caregivers during the covid 19 pandemic perceive additional burden findings from an ad hoc survey in germany |
| topic | Informal caregiver Family caregiver SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Psychosocial burdens |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06359-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreabudnick informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT christianhering informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT simoneggert informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT christianteubner informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT ralfsuhr informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT adelheidkuhlmey informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany AT paulgellert informalcaregiversduringthecovid19pandemicperceiveadditionalburdenfindingsfromanadhocsurveyingermany |