Follonier Cédric, Pullen Nick, Baysson Hélène, Zaballa María-Eugenia, Pennacchio Francesco, Schrempft Stephanie, Levati Sara, Nehme Mayssam, Guessous Idris, Stringhini Silvia, Lorthe Elsa
Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2025 Mar 11;155:3884. doi: 10.57187/s.3884.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related public health measures have disrupted healthcare systems and may have impacted informal caregivers' mental health due to increased responsibilities and limited access to support services. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of mental distress among caregivers and non-caregivers and identify risk and protective factors for mental distress in caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Data were collected from participants in Specchio-COVID19, a population-based cohort in Geneva, Switzerland. Mental distress was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in June 2021. The prevalence of distress was compared between caregivers and non-caregivers. Risk and protective factors for mental distress among caregivers were explored using logistic regressions.
Among the 5416 participants, 1086 (20%) reported helping someone in a non-professional manner with activities of daily life and were considered caregivers. Mental distress was more frequent in caregivers than in non-caregivers (41% vs 37%, p = 0.010). In caregivers, limited social support (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.25 [95% confidence interval: 1.10, 1.42]), caring for an individual with a mental condition (aOR = 1.21 [1.05, 1.41]), living over 10 km away from the care recipient (aOR = 1.17 [1.02, 1.34]), feeling more isolated in one's caregiving role (aOR = 1.20 [1.08, 1.32]), worrying about caregiving ability in case of COVID-19 or quarantine (aOR = 1.18 [1.08, 1.28]) and experiencing reduced availability of healthcare professionals (aOR = 1.11 [1.02, 1.22]) were associated with increased odds of mental distress.
Informal caregivers experienced higher levels of mental distress than non-caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study highlights the need for public health policies that enhance both formal and informal support networks and include rapidly implementable solutions for caregiving continuity, benefiting both caregivers and their care recipients.
新冠疫情及相关公共卫生措施扰乱了医疗系统，且可能因责任增加和获得支持服务的机会有限而影响了非正式照料者的心理健康。本研究旨在调查照料者和非照料者中精神痛苦的患病率，并确定新冠疫情期间照料者精神痛苦的风险因素和保护因素。
数据收集自瑞士日内瓦一个基于人群的队列研究Specchio-COVID19的参与者。2021年6月使用12项一般健康问卷（GHQ-12）测量精神痛苦程度。比较了照料者和非照料者中痛苦的患病率。使用逻辑回归探索照料者中精神痛苦的风险因素和保护因素。
在5416名参与者中，1086人（20%）报告以非专业方式帮助他人进行日常生活活动，被视为照料者。照料者中精神痛苦比非照料者更常见（41%对37%，p = 0.010）。在照料者中，社会支持有限（调整优势比[aOR]=1.25[95%置信区间：1.10，1.42]）、照料患有精神疾病的个体（aOR = 1.21[1.05，1.41]）、居住在距离受照料者10公里以上的地方（aOR = 1.17[1.02，1.34]）、在照料角色中感觉更加孤立（aOR = 1.20[1.08，1.32]）、担心在新冠疫情或隔离情况下的照料能力（aOR = 1.18[1.08，1.28]）以及经历医疗保健专业人员可及性降低（aOR = 1.11[1.02，1.22]）与精神痛苦几率增加相关。
在新冠疫情期间，非正式照料者比非照料者经历了更高水平的精神痛苦。本研究强调需要制定公共卫生政策，加强正式和非正式支持网络，并包括快速可实施的照料连续性解决方案，使照料者及其受照料者都受益。
