Prevalence of depression, anxiety, burden, burnout, and stress in informal caregivers: An umbrella review of meta-analyses

Abstract

Informal caregiving is a physically and emotionally taxing role that has a profound impact on caregivers’ emotional and mental well-being. Previous research has examined the mental health of caregivers and found elevated levels of depression, anxiety, burden, burnout, or stress. However, the global rates of the five mental health factors and/or outcomes (i.e., depression, anxiety, burden, burnout, and stress) among caregivers remain largely unclear. Therefore, this umbrella review examines the prevalence of these factors and/or outcomes, including various subgroup factors, such as gender, medical and/or psychological condition of the care recipient, region, and assessment tools. A systematic search was conducted in five databases and two sources, and a total of 18 meta-analyses were included for final analysis. The overall median prevalence was 33.35% for depression, 35.25% for anxiety, and 49.26% for burden. However, we could not examine the rates of stress and burnout due to insufficient meta-analysis. Subgroup analyses were comparable across gender, medical and/or psychological condition of the care recipient, and region, suggesting that caregivers face comparable mental health risks across these diverse groups. These findings highlight the need for greater mental health awareness and for governmental and healthcare institutions to introduce effective interventions and stronger support systems.