STATE OF CARING REPORT 2017
The impact of caring on carers ’ health
6 out of 10 people ( 61 %) said their physical health has worsened as a result of caring , while 7 out of 10 ( 70 %) said they have suffered mental ill health . 13 % said their health is no different as a result of caring .
People providing over 50 hours of care a week and older carers over the age of 65 , were both more likely to say their physical health has worsened as a result of caring ( 67 % and 65 % respectively ), while over three quarters ( 78 %) of those providing care to a child with a disability said they have suffered mental ill health such as stress or depression as a result of caring .
Staying healthy as a carer
Carers reported a number of negative impacts of caring upon their wellbeing . 8 out of 10 people ( 78 %) said they feel more stressed because of their caring role , and 7 out of 10 ( 72 %) said caring has made them feel more anxious . 7 in 10 ( 69 %) also said they find it difficult to get a good night ’ s sleep because of their caring role .
Over half of people ( 54 %) also reported that they have reduced the amount of exercise they take because of caring and 45 % reported that they have found it difficult to maintain a balanced diet . Nearly half of respondents ( 46 %) said they have suffered from depression because of their caring role .
People looking after a disabled child and those who are providing care to someone at the same time as bringing up a child without disabilities were more likely to report stress and anxiety as a result of caring than other groups . They were also more likely to say that caring had impacted upon them having a balanced diet and their ability to do exercise . People caring for a disabled child were also the most likely group to report having suffered from depression because of their caring role ( 54 %).
7 in 10
69 %
said they find it difficult to get a good night ’ s sleep because of their caring
Over half
54 %
reported that they have reduced the amount of exercise they take because of caring
Nearly half
45 %
reported that they have found it difficult to maintain a balanced diet
Nearly half
46 %
said they have suffered from depression because of their caring role
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