Stress of family caregiving red flagged
Many people caring for a chronically ill family member say they’re very stressed, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada. It’s calling for better access to mental health treatment as a top priority. Thursday’s interim report from the commission red flags the nearly 17 per cent of the 5.5 million Canadian caregivers aged 15 and over as a « substantial proportion » coping with very difficult levels of caregiver stress. « We need to support caregivers’ health, » Kimberley McEwan of the Centre for Applied Research and Mental Health, at Simon Fraser University, one of the authors of the report, said in an interview. « We know caregivers who are under a lot of stress will ultimately develop mental health and potentially physical health problems as well. » As the population ages, the number of people with dementia and other chronic illnesses will rise, boosting the need for family care, the authors said.
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