Burden experienced by caregiving relatives during the corona pandemic

Background Family caregivers are faced with a variety of challenges and burdens. Recent online studies showed that these burdens have increased even more during the corona pandemic. Here we conducted a low-threshold written survey to assess psychological distress in highly burdened family caregivers during the corona pandemic in Germany. Method Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted within the context of a tiered counselling intervention study for highly burdened family caregivers (N = 165) to assess their experience of burden, anxieties, worries and desires regarding care. Results A quarter of all caregivers (26%) reported high fear of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 and 50% feared their care recipient could get infected. Almost half of all caregivers reported (47%) that corona had a high impact on the care situation and increased the burden of caregiving (51%). A loss of professional support and less time for themselves were reported most often. The desire for additional support was frequently expressed. The level of care, the age of the caregiver and the previous use of care services were found to be predictors of the psychological distress experienced by care recipients. Conclusion The results illustrate an increased burden related to caregiving during the corona pandemic. In order to cope with this complex additional burden, there is an even higher need for support to improve care and social participation for both care recipients and caregivers during the pandemic.