Ep 9: Mental Health Vibe Check: The State of Caregiver Mental Health & the Supports That Keep Us Going in 2024

Caffeinated Caregivers

Hey caregiver. How are you doing? No, we mean, how are you *really* doing?
Because according to the research (both our informal research and the many published academic studies), mental health for caregivers isn't great. The "why" probably isn't surprising: lack of support, stress, poor health for our children, lack of time, and a ton of other barriers that keep us from accessing the mental health support that we need. But what can help to improve our mental health might surprise you a little bit.
In this episode, we're sharing lots of published research (because we seem to need that validation) and data collected from our caregiver community that shed light on the state of mental health for caregivers. We're sharing what impacts caregivers' mental health, what keeps caregivers from discussing mental health issues, and the barriers caregivers have to accessing mental health support.
We're also sharing the best advice caregivers have received from mental health professionals and what both our community (and the published research!) say can have the biggest positive impact on caregiver mental health (spoiler alert: it's us! All of us together, supporting each other!)
Let's dive in!
In this episode:
[00:00:00] Intro
[00:01:00] Erica & Alyssa discuss the eclipse (they both live in the path of totality!)
[00:06:48] The activities fueling our mental health this week
[00:11:02] Why caregiver mental health matters and why we need to talk about it
[00:14:57] What stops caregivers from discussing their mental health
[00:23:03] The published data that we found discussing caregiver mental health (shocker: we have higher rates of anxiety and depression)
[00:27:01] The questions we asked our caregiver community about the state of their mental health and the somewhat surprising responses
[00:34:00] Why caregivers are struggling with their mental health so much
[00:43:00] The barriers that caregivers say prevent them from getting mental health support
[00:46:43] The best advice caregivers have received from a mental health professional and why we have to prioritize our mental health eventually
[00:53:01] A short discussion about the way medication can be a tool for caregivers to support their mental health
[00:58:44] The ways professional therapy can support your mental health, and the considerations you may want to keep in mind as you look for a therapist
[01:01:16] What our community (and the research!) says has the biggest positive effect on our mental health

For the transcript, our blog, links, and more, visit our website: https://www.caffeinatedcaregivers.com/podcast/ep9
Follow us on Instagram for research, validation, and a lot of memes @caffeinated_caregivers.

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Thanks friends! Talk soon!