Stress and Supportive Care Needs of Millennial Caregivers: A Qualitative Analysis.
Megan C Thomas Hebdon, Miranda Jones, Sara Neller and 7 others
PMID 34713777WHAT IT FOUND
Millennial caregivers said caring for a person with a chronic illness disrupted careers, relationships and daily life, leaving them uncertain about the future.
They wanted health teams to treat them as experts, provide respite and follow-through, and offer work and financial support.
Key findings
01Caregivers described disruption to relationships, education, career and daily routines, plus uncertainty about the care recipient’s future, their own job and insurance, and whether they were adequate caregivers.
02Caregivers reported stress from the care recipient’s health, balancing their own needs, relationship strain, employment and finances, and not getting needed support from family, work, community or health teams.
03Caregivers asked health teams for communication, follow-through, respite and respect, and asked for income, workplace and policy support.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study describes experiences and needs; it did not test whether any support, app or workplace change works. Participants were mostly female, White, married or partnered, and had some college or a degree, so the findings may not represent caregivers with other identities or backgrounds. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and caregivers noted pandemic effects, so findings may reflect that period. The analysis used 42 survey cases and 15 interview cases, and survey responses were not linked to interview data, so it is a broad description rather than a measure of how common each experience is. The sample was recruited online and had to have internet, computer and mobile phone access, so caregivers without those resources may be missing.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the caregiver needs as evidence that an app, respite service or workplace policy works. This study asked caregivers what they experienced and wanted; it did not test any intervention.