How are Informal Caregivers Adapting to COVID19? Preliminary Results of an Online Survey

Abstract COVID19 may disrupt informal caregivers’ (CG) ability to support their care recipients (CR) but little is known how caregivers adapt. A 10-minute, anonymous, online survey with no geographic restrictions was fielded April-August 2020. Two screening items ensured that the respondents were at least 18y and self-identified as a CG. This English-language survey assessed: sociodemographics; reactions to COVID19; changes in CG responsibilities and abilities; depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-2); CG burden (Zarit Burden Inventory, ZBI-4); and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, GAD-2). Univariate analyses determined the proportion of those who screened positive on PHQ-2 (cutoff=3), GAD-2 (cutoff=3), and ZBI-4 (cutoff=8). Of the 314 respondents, 74% lived in USA; 73.5% of caregivers and 48.2% CR were women. While 63.4% were married, only 28% cared for their spouse. CG mainly cared for adults (83%), and reported that 75.0% of their CR had 2+ conditions. 49.6% CG provided >20h of care/wk. Since COVID19, 53% reported an increase in CG responsibilities; 28.0% noted a decrease in income. Many CG screened positive on the ZBI-4 (48.4%), GAD-2 (30.9%), and PHQ-2 (26.8%). 74% worried about contracting COVID19 at least some of the time. 35.0% noted limits to performing all caregiving tasks when they (N=34) or their CR (N=57) were asked to self-isolate/quarantine. 163 (51.9%) CG noted spending less time with their CR, of which 46.4% used alternate means (e.g., telephone calls). Preliminary results show that a plurality of CG had changes in their responsibilities and abilities during COVID19. A sizable proportion also reported poor well-being.

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Caregiving Intensity and Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 in Dementia and Non-Dementia Caregivers

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.2946 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 806-807

Author(s):

Marika Humber ◽

Angeline Truong ◽

Madhuvanthi Suresh ◽

Josephine Jacobs ◽

Sam Thomas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Home Environment ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Dementia Caregivers ◽

Patient Health ◽

Intensity Of Care ◽

Zarit Burden Inventory ◽

Levels Of Support

Abstract COVID-19 has adversely impacted the well-being of informal caregivers (CG) due to infection risk, changes to the home environment, and changes to resource availability. CG of persons living with dementia (PLWD) may be especially vulnerable due to the intensity of care provided. We compared CG activities and well-being among CG who did and did not care for PLWD during COVID-19. We conducted an anonymous online survey from April 2020-present. Respondents self-identified as 18+ years and CG to a child or adult with mental health or medical conditions. CG answered questions regarding hours of care provision and caregiving activities, and completed measures of CG burden (Zarit Burden Inventory-4), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale), depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2). Of the 258 respondents within the United States, 86 cared for PLWD (33%; 88% female; 56±12 years) while 172 did not (66%; 87% female; 49±14 years). Compared to non-dementia CGs, more CGs of PLWD provided 40+ hours of caregiving/week (36% vs. 49%, p<.05), performed more caregiving activities (8.5 vs. 10.5, p<.01), and assisted with more activities of daily living (55% vs. 73%, p<.01). Compared to non-dementia CG, more dementia CG reported CG burden (53% vs. 67%; p<.05) and loneliness (7.3 vs. 9.1, p<.05). No differences in depressive symptoms or anxiety were found. Results suggest that existing needs of CG of PLWD may be exacerbated by the stressors and concerns of the pandemic, necessitating higher levels of support.

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Public Concerns during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Multicultural Cross-Sectional Study among Internet Survey Respondents in Three Countries

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10081577 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 1577

Author(s):

Alona Emodi-Perlman ◽

Ilana Eli ◽

Nir Uziel ◽

Joanna Smardz ◽

Anahat Khehra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Internet Survey ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Culturally Different ◽

Patient Health

(1) Background: this study aimed to evaluate the worries, anxiety, and depression in the public during the initial coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in three culturally different groups of internet survey respondents: Middle Eastern (Israel), European (Poland), and North American (Canada). (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted in the mentioned countries during the lockdown periods. The survey included a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on personal concerns, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). A total of 2207 people successfully completed the survey. (3) Results: Polish respondents were the most concerned about being infected. Canadian respondents worried the most about their finances, relations with relatives and friends, and both physical and mental health. Polish respondents worried the least about their physical health, and Israeli respondents worried the least about their mental health and relations with relatives and friends. Canadian respondents obtained the highest score in the PHQ-4, while the scores of Israeli respondents were the lowest. (4) Conclusions: various factors should be considered while formulating appropriate solutions in emergency circumstances such as a pandemic. Understanding these factors will aid in the development of strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of stress, social isolation, and uncertainty on the well-being and mental health of culturally different societies.

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Mental Health, Sense of Coherence, and Interpersonal Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Germany

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9113708 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 3708

Author(s):

Stefanie Jung ◽

Jonas Kneer ◽

Tillmann H. C. Krüger

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sense Of Coherence ◽

Interpersonal Violence ◽

Online Survey ◽

Short Form ◽

Well Being ◽

Western Country ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Substantial Impact ◽

Patient Health

Preliminary data indicates that the Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19) pandemic may have a substantial impact on mental health and well-being. We assessed mental health in response to the lockdown in Germany between 1 April 2020 and 15 April 2020 using a cross-sectional online survey (n = 3545) with a mixed-methods approach. We found increased levels of psychosocial distress (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) stress module), anxiety, depressive symptoms (PHQ-4), irritability, and a decrease in overall well-being (WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)), sense of coherence (Short Form of the Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-L9)), sexual contentment, and sleep quality. The four-week-prevalence of interpersonal violence was yet at 5% and included verbal, physical, and sexual violence. Participants reported finding comfort in family, friends, conversation, exercise, and activity. Findings are also in line with research showing that women seem to have more trouble coping with the pandemic and lockdown measures. Our observations demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic and related measures lead to a mental health burden even in a highly developed Western country and should, therefore, be taken seriously. The findings for interpersonal violence are alarming. Thus, we should sharpen our focus on the matter and activate and enhance supporting systems to help protect those affected.

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Global Imperative of Suicidal Ideation in 10 Countries Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2020.588781 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Teris Cheung ◽

Simon Ching Lam ◽

Paul Hong Lee ◽

Yu Tao Xiang ◽

Paul Siu Fai Yip ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Health Beliefs ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Outcome Variable ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Patient Health ◽

Novel Coronavirus ◽

The Uk

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a detrimental impact on individuals' psychological well-being; however, a multi-country comparison on the prevalence of suicidal ideation due to the virus is still lacking.Objectives: To examine the prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation among the general population across 10 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional study which used convenience sampling and collected data by conducting an online survey. Participants were sourced from 10 Eastern and Western countries. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to measure the outcome variable of suicidal ideation. Ordinal regression analysis was used to identify significant predictors associated with suicidal ideation.Results: A total of 25,053 participants (22.7% male) were recruited. Results from the analysis showed that the UK and Brazil had the lowest odds of suicidal ideation compared to Macau (p < 0.05). Furthermore, younger age, male, married, and differences in health beliefs were significantly associated with suicidal ideation (p < 0.05).Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for joint international collaboration to formulate effective suicide prevention strategies in a timely manner and the need to implement online mental health promotion platforms. In doing so, the potential global rising death rates by suicide during the pandemic can be reduced.

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SP4.2.1 The Global impact of COVID-19 on Surgeons and Team members (GlobalCOST) Study

British Journal of Surgery ◽

10.1093/bjs/znab361.097 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 108 (Supplement_7) ◽

Author(s):

Zahra Jaffry ◽

Anshul Sobti ◽

Ahmed Negida ◽

Bijayendra Singh ◽

Peter Brennan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Easy Access ◽

Allied Health Professionals ◽

Team Members ◽

Patient Health ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

Food And Drink ◽

The Impact ◽

Positive Effect

Abstract Aims To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of surgeons and allied health professionals across the world and assess the support provided by their institutions. Methods An online survey was distributed through medical organisations, social media platforms and collaborators from the 15th of July to the 15th of December 2020. Results 1590 responses were received. 80.0% were surgeons, 6.4% nurses, 5.3% assistants, 3.1% anaesthetists, 1.4% operating department practitioners and 3.8% classed as other. Of participants, 64.0% had found difficulty gaining access to personal protective equipment (PPE), 29.8% had not received training on its use and 32.0% had become physically ill since the start of the pandemic (59.9% of which were due to COVID-19 symptoms). 29.0% saw a decrease in salary and 35.2% a decrease in time spent with family. Between a time two weeks before the start of the pandemic and after, there was a significant increase in mean scores for depression (4.22 (CI = 3.98-4.46)) and anxiety (2.24 (CI = 2.01-2.46)), based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) respectively (p < 0.0001). In terms of support, only 36.0% had easy access to occupational health, 58.5% were able to take regular breaks, 16.5% had access to 24 hour rest facilities and 14.2% to 24 hour food and drink facilities. Conclusions This work has highlighted a need and ways in which to improve conditions for the health workforce. This will inevitably have a positive effect on the care received by patients.

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Family Caregiving for Persons With Emotional, Developmental, and Behavioral Disorders During COVID-19

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.1742 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 451-452

Author(s):

Scott Beach ◽

Richard Schulz ◽

Heidi Donovan ◽

Ann-Marie Rosland ◽

Tara Klinedinst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Disorders ◽

Family Caregiving ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Cognitive Problems

Abstract COVID-19 has the potential to exacerbate stresses of family caregiving. While studies during COVID-19 have focused on caregivers of those with memory / cognitive issues like Alzheimer’s Disease, less attention has been paid to those caring for persons with emotional / developmental / behavioral disorders. This paper compares family caregivers of persons with emotional / developmental / behavioral disorders (EDB); physical conditions (PH); and memory / cognitive problems (MC) during the early phase of the pandemic. We focus on demographics, caregiving context, COVID-related caregiver stressors, and validated physical, psychosocial, and financial well-being outcomes. We conducted a cross-sectional national online survey during April-May, 2020 (n = 556). The sample included 274 PH (50%), 141 MC (25%), and 141 EDB (25%) caregivers. EDB caregivers were younger, with younger care recipients who were more likely to be their child. EDB caregivers reported more COVID-related caregiver stressors than MC or PH caregivers, including increased caregiving duties (p<.01); more family disagreements about care provision (p=.05); and worsened mental health of the care recipient (p<.01). In multivariate regression models, EDB caregivers had significantly higher anxiety; depression; and fatigue (all p<.01); more sleep disturbance (p=.05); less social participation (p<.05); and poorer overall financial well-being (p<.05). MC caregivers also reported more negative outcomes, but effects were consistently strongest for EDB caregivers. This study shows that EDB caregivers are at significantly elevated risk for negative impacts due to COVID-19 and should receive increased support and attention during this public health crisis.

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Money Follows the Person and Informal Caregivers: Insights Into a New Stage of the Caregiving Career

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.340 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 103-103

Author(s):

Julie Robison ◽

Noreen Shugrue ◽

Chanee Fabius ◽

Richard Fortinsky ◽

Martha Porter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Process Model ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Well Being ◽

Care Recipient ◽

Career Stage ◽

Care Recipients ◽

White Caregivers ◽

Recipient Age ◽

Positive Feelings ◽

Type Data

Abstract The Money Follows the Person (MFP) program transitions people to the community after extended institutional stays. This study examines effects of this transition on informal caregivers in this new caregiving career stage. Analyses explore whether and how MFP affects caregivers according to caregiver race/ethnicity, and care recipient age and disability type. Data come from surveys with 686 caregivers of persons in Connecticut’s MFP from November 2014-November 2018. Using Pearlin’s Caregiver Stress Process Model, bivariate and multivariate analyses examine predictors of multiple caregiver well-being indicators. Care recipients: older adults (50%), and younger persons with physical (35%), mental health (8%) or developmental (7%) disabilities. Caregivers: non-Hispanic White (62%), non-Hispanic Black (24%), and Hispanic (14%). Caregivers’ average assistance is 5 days/week, 6 hours/day, with 3 activities of daily living and 5 instrumental activities; 11% are paid for caregiving. Compared to other community-based samples, they report low mean levels of burden (4.7 of 16), anxiety (2.2 of 18) and depressive symptoms (31%), and high positive feelings about caregiving (9.5 of 12). A majority feel less stressed (60%) or no change in stress (20%) compared to before and during the institutional stay. Caregivers across the four care recipient groups don’t differ on most outcomes, although more caregivers of people with developmental disabilities (82% vs. 55-61%) report less stress once the person transitions. Black and Hispanic caregivers report more intensive caregiving, but White caregivers report more burden and subjective stress. Findings illustrate the benefits of programmatic support during a newly defined post-institutionalization caregiving career stage.

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Validation of the Hungarian version of the CarerQol instrument in informal caregivers: results from a cross-sectional survey among the general population in Hungary

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-020-02662-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Petra Baji ◽

Werner B. F. Brouwer ◽

Job van Exel ◽

Dominik Golicki ◽

Valentina Prevolnik Rupel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Status ◽

Online Survey ◽

Discriminant Validity ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Care Recipients ◽

Vas Scores

Abstract Purpose The CarerQol instrument has been designed and validated as an instrument able to measure both the positive and the negative impacts of caregiving on the quality of life of informal caregivers (CarerQol-7D), as well as their general happiness (CarerQol-VAS). The aim of this study was to assess the construct validity of the CarerQol in the Hungarian context. Methods The CarerQol was translated into Hungarian. Subsequently, in a cross-sectional online survey, representative for the general Hungarian population (N = 1000), informal caregivers were identified (N = 149, female 51.2%, mean age 53.2). Clinical, convergent and discriminant validity of the CarerQol were evaluated in relation to the caregivers’ and care recipients’ EQ-5D-5L health status, and caregiving situation characteristics. Results Average CarerQol-7D and CarerQol-VAS scores were 76.0 (SD 16.2) and 6.8 (SD 2.3), respectively. CarerQol-7D and CarerQol-VAS scores were significantly correlated with caregiving time (r = − 0.257; − 0.212), caregivers’ EQ-5D-5L scores (r = 0.453; 0.326) and the CarerQol-7D also with care recipients’ EQ-5D-5L scores (r = 0.247). CarerQol-7D scores differed significantly with relevant caregiving characteristics (e.g. nature and severity of care recipients’ health status, sharing household) and both the CarerQol-7D and CarerQol-VAS with the overall care experience. Conclusion Our findings confirmed the validity of the Hungarian language version of the CarerQol and support the cross-cultural validity of the instrument. CarerQol-7D scores performed better in distinguishing caregiving situation characteristics than the general happiness measure CarerQol-VAS. Care recipients’ health status was only weakly associated with informal caregivers’ care-related quality of life and happiness. Caregivers’ own health and caregiving circumstances were more strongly associated with these scores.

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Mediation Effect of Self-Efficacy and Resilience on the Psychological Well-Being of Lebanese People During the Crises of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Beirut Explosion

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.733578 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Jihoon Hong ◽

Hussein Walid Mreydem ◽

Bayan Tarek Abou Ali ◽

Nada Omar Saleh ◽

Sajida Fawaz Hammoudi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stress Responses ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Single Item ◽

Resilience Scale ◽

Patient Health ◽

General Self Efficacy

Introduction: Self-efficacy signifies an individual's belief in their own ability to perform the actions required to achieve a particular performance. In this study, we used an online survey to assess the mediation effect of resilience and self-efficacy on the overall psychological well-being of Lebanese people during the crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Beirut explosion.Methods: Overall, 567 Lebanese people participated in an online survey between March 17–28, 2021. The survey included the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 items (SAVE-6), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale-2 items, WHO-5 Well-being Index, General Self-Efficacy scale, and a single item on insomnia. We also assessed their risk perception regarding exposure to COVID-19 or explosions.Results: About 53% of participants were assessed as having depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 10) in the recent crisis. About half of participants (53.2%) reported feeling more stressed by COVID-19 than by the Beirut explosion, and 23.4% felt more stressed by the Beirut explosion than by COVID-19. Only the SAVE-6 score differed significantly between groups with greater stress responses to COVID-19 and the Beirut explosion. Self-efficacy mediated the influence of depression on people's psychological well-being, and self-efficacy and resilience mediated the influence of viral anxiety on psychological well-being.Conclusion: Self-efficacy is important for reducing people's depression and improving their psychological well-being during the Lebanon crises and also mediates the influence of anxiety in response to the viral epidemic on their psychological well-being in some people.

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