More than a fifth of carers are suffering from undiagnosed clinical depression while more than half are under severe strain, an unpublished study carried out by the HSE has found.
The study, which was presented by Siobhán McEniff, carers development officer with the HSE North West at a carers' conference in Dublin yesterday, recently won first prize at the 12th Congress of International Psychogeriatrics Association in Stockholm, Sweden.
Ms McEniff told the conference that carers of geriatric patients in Sligo, Leitrim and Cavan were invited to take part in the study and 100 took part.
They were interviewed and scored on two recognised scales used to measure depression and strain.
"The main findings were that more than half, or 51 per cent, were under severe strain and 21 per cent were clinically depressed." She said spousal carers had the lowest levels of depression.
"Our hypothesis is that carers who are spouses, wives or husbands of the person being cared for, see it as part of their vow 'till death do us part', as a natural obligation and they manage and cope better.
"Sons scored low as well for depression. It may be that women tend to cope in an emotionally focused way, that men have different coping strategies than women."
Daughters and daughters-in-law of the cared persons had higher scores for depression, but she pointed out that many of these younger women were also taking care of children and had jobs and more commitments than men with caring obligations.
The study also found that carers of Alzheimer's patients, of patients that displayed aggression and of patients that interrupted their sleep, were under more strain and more likely to be depressed than others.
"We found 73 per cent of carers were caring for 43 hours or more per week," said Ms McEniff. She said 30 per cent did not drive and the HSE had offered some of these respite time and funding to take driving lessons.
In terms of where carers got support, 44 per cent turned to statutory agencies, 14 per cent got support from voluntary organisations and 10 per cent had no support.
The study had increased awareness among nursing and social work staff of the "significant carer burden and hidden depression" among this population.
"Carers need comprehensive assessments and these should be expanded to other parts of the country," she said.
The conference also heard calls for the introduction of an automatic right to an assessment for each of the 149,000 carers in the State. This right was introduced in Northern Ireland last year as part of the Caring for Carers Strategy.
Helen Ferguson, director of Carers Northern Ireland, said the statutory right to an assessment was "the best way of making sure all carers have the same chance to be recognised and supported, wherever they live and whoever they're caring for".
It was now mandatory in Northern Ireland that every carer be told of their right to an assessment. This involved talking to the carer about their health, emotional, practical and social needs and where possible providing for them.
There was not, she stressed, a legal obligation on the Health and Social Services Trusts to provide for the needs as identified in the assessment.
However, the majority of those who had been assessed felt the exercise had been useful and that it allowed the trusts to identify levels of need.
"Care assessments can lead to a better use of the resources that are there," she said.
