Chyu Joanna, Cantu Philip, Mehta Neil, Markides Kyriakos
University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, USA.
Gerontol Geriatr Med. 2022 Oct 20;8:23337214221132369. doi: 10.1177/23337214221132369. eCollection 2022 Jan-Dec.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major source of stress for informal caregivers for people with dementia. Studies show the unique challenges caregivers face, such as social isolation, extended work hours, and adherence to public health guidelines. We conducted a narrative review of factors impacting well-being of informal caregivers of older adults with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixty-four papers were identified as published between June 2020 and December 2021. All studies were conducted in the U.S. or other Western countries and were cross-sectional and conducted prior to COVID-19 vaccines. Articles highlighted increasing burdens such as financial and physical stress, as well as worsened psychological well-being from anxiety and depression. Protective factors such as social support and telehealth interventions also emerged. Limitations include lack of longitudinal information to identify broader themes on caregiving during the pandemic. Studies not only identified new, pandemic-related risk factors, but also a heightened effect of pre-existing risk factors (e.g., income, living situation) on caregiver burden.
新冠疫情一直是痴呆症患者非正式照料者压力的主要来源。研究表明了照料者面临的独特挑战，比如社会隔离、工作时长延长以及遵守公共卫生准则。我们对新冠疫情期间影响老年痴呆症患者非正式照料者幸福感的因素进行了叙述性综述。确定了2020年6月至2021年12月期间发表的64篇论文。所有研究均在美国或其他西方国家进行，为横断面研究且在新冠疫苗推出之前开展。文章强调了经济和身体压力等负担的增加，以及焦虑和抑郁导致的心理健康恶化。社会支持和远程医疗干预等保护因素也有所显现。局限性包括缺乏纵向信息以确定疫情期间照料方面更广泛的主题。研究不仅确定了与疫情相关的新风险因素，还发现了既有风险因素（如收入、生活状况）对照料者负担的加剧影响。
