Mental health, social integration and support of informal caregivers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A population-based representative study from Germany

Introduction: The study analyzed mental health, social integration and social support of informal caregivers of individuals aged & GE;60 years compared to non-caregivers during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample drawn randomly from the nationally representative online panel forsa.omninet in Germany between March 4th and 19th 2021. In total, 3022 adults aged & GE;40 years from Germany were questioned, including 489 adults providing informal care for adults aged & GE;60 years between December 2020 and March 2021. Depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), loneliness (De Jong Gierveld Scale), social exclusion (Bude & Lantermann Scale) and social network support (Lubben's Social Network Scale) were measured. Adjusted OLS regression analyses and additional moderator analyses (moderators: perceived restrictions and danger of infection due to the COVID-19 pandemic) were conducted. Results: Significant higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and more social support were found among informal caregivers compared to non-caregivers. Loneliness and social exclusion did not differ between both groups. Perceived restrictions by the pandemic significantly moderated the association between informal care-giving and social support - social support was stronger among caregivers with higher levels of perceived re-strictions by the pandemic. Conclusion: Informal caregivers are faced with worse mental health than non-caregivers during the pandemic, although their social support was stronger, in particular in dependence of higher levels of perceived restrictions by the pandemic. Thus, results indicate a need for an informal-care-specific policy and more professional support for informal caregivers during a health crisis.

Automated summary

This study examined the mental health, social integration, and social support of informal caregivers of individuals aged ≥60 during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Germany, with 3022 adults aged ≥40, including 489 caregivers. The results showed that informal caregivers had higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and more social support compared to non-caregivers. Perceived restrictions by the pandemic moderated the association between caregiving and social support, with stronger support among caregivers perceiving higher restrictions. These findings highlight the need for tailored policies and professional support for informal caregivers during health crises.