The Cost of Caring – Resources are now available !

EUFAMI (European Federation of Associations of Families affected by mental illness) and LSE (The London School of Economics and Political Science/Policy and Evaluation Centre) are pleased to inform that the 2-year research study on the ‘Cost of Caring’ is now completed and the resources are publicly available.

EUFAMI’s Caring4Carers survey found that the majority of informal caregivers are women, caring for a son or daughter and spending an average of 22 hours a week in caregiving activities. The stress placed on informal caregivers can be significant. Approximately 40 percent report worrying about their own physical health, with nearly one third fearing that their role as a caregiver detrimentally impacts their physical health. The caregiver’s mental health may also be at risk: nearly one-in-three feel depressed. In addition to health stress comes financial stress and social isolation. This culminates in a sizable time investment, equivalent to a job, however often without adequate support structures.

The Economic Case for Caring is a project which builds on our Caring4Carers survey by looking at how unpaid (informal) care provided by family members and other unpaid carers is an important element of any mental health system, yet too often these contributions are not fully recognised or appreciated. Policymakers are unlikely to be aware of the extent of the cost if they had to replace all of this ‘informal’ care with formal mental health services and support.

EUFAMI, in collaboration with The London School of Economics, is looking to obtain credible evidence on the economic contribution of family/informal carers of persons with severe mental ill health (in particular schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression) in order to have compelling evidence to share with policy makers at European and national levels to encourage investment in caring 4 carers, i.e. investment in policies and services which support family/informal carers, and strengthen joint advocacy activities EUFAMI undertakes with other NGOs.

Please find here the resource documents relevant to the research study:

The Value of Caring Report (433.47 KB) "pdf"

Background and Survey Methodology Information on The Report of the Value of Caring (139.98 KB) "pdf"

Key Findings from the Report of the Value of Caring_English (188.79 KB) "pdf"

Key Recommendations from the Report of the Value of Caring_English (131.33 KB) "pdf"

Key Findings from the Report of the Value of Caring_French (190.73 KB) "pdf"

Key Recommendations from the Report of the Value of Caring_French (132.3 KB) "pdf"

Key Findings from the Report of the Value of Caring_Dutch (173.53 KB) "pdf"

Key Recommendations from the Report of the Value of Caring_Dutch (117.61 KB) "pdf"

Key Findings from the Report of the Value of Caring_Spanish

Key Recommendations from the Report of the Value of Caring_Spanish (132.06 KB) "pdf"

Key Findings from the Report of the Value of Caring_German (180.15 KB) "pdf"