Supporting Carers Mental Health
The mental health of unpaid carers
Following the State of Caring survey completed by over 1700 unpaid carers in Scotland in 2023, Carers Scotland, one of our country's national carer organisations, shared the findings in their report ‘State of Caring 2023, a Health and Social Care Crisis for Unpaid Carers in Scotland’.
Within this survey, carers shared their experiences of their own mental health:
- Over a quarter of carers (28%) said their mental health is bad or very bad, rising to 37% for carers on Carer’s Allowance.
- A third (36%) of carers said that they had thoughts related to self-harm or suicide.
As a health and social care workforce that will meet unpaid carers in our practice, it is important to acknowledge the extent of the impact that caring can have on some people who provide unpaid care. We particularly need to be aware of unpaid carers who have reached the point of harming themselves or experiencing suicidal ideation.
You may find you feel emotionally impacted by this topic. Support is always available, and you may find the contacts and resources below useful:
Resources and contacts
Breathing Space
Breathing Space is Scotland’s mental health helpline for individuals experiencing symptoms of low mood, depression, or anxiety, and it offers free and confidential advice for individuals over the age of 16. They can be contacted on 0800 83 85 87, 6pm to 2am Monday to Thursday; and from 6pm Friday throughout the weekend to 6am Monday.
Samaritans
Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgemental emotional support 24 hours a day for people experiencing distress or despair. You can contact Samaritans free by phoning 116 123, emailing jo@samaritans.org or writing a letter to Freepost SAMARITANS LETTERS
NHS24 Mental Health Hub
The Mental Health Hub can help people feeling distressed, in a state of despair, suicidal or in need of emotional support by phoning 111; the Mental Health Hub is open 24/7.
Childline
Childline is a free service for children and young people, for whenever they need support or advice. It is open 24/7, and there are many ways to get support. You can call 0800 1111. Other ways are set out on their website: www.childline.org.uk
To support your own practice, you may find it useful to:
Watch our impact of caring film
Transcript: TBC
Watch the young carers film
https://www.youtube.com/embed/pFKIB25XIIQ?si=6doMO2ecsaIqdUsA
Transcript: TBC
Visit mental health improvement and prevention of self-harm and suicide resources on Turas,
Complete our Ask, Tell, Respond resources to help you consider how to support someone experiencing suicidal ideation.
Read Creating Hope Together: suicide prevention action plan 2022 - 2025
