Do informal caregivers experience more burnout? A meta-analytic study
Pierre Gérain1,2, Emmanuelle Zech2
1National Fund for Scientific Research , Brussels, Belgium.
Psychology, Health & Medicine
|August 21, 2020
Summary
Informal caregivers experience higher burnout, including emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, compared to non-caregivers. This meta-analysis highlights caregiving as a significant risk factor for role burnout.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Informal caregivers frequently report exhaustion and burnout.
- A systematic comparison of burnout between caregivers and non-caregivers is lacking.
- Burnout significantly impacts the well-being of individuals in caregiving roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and synthesize studies comparing burnout levels in informal caregivers versus non-caregivers.
- To investigate the prevalence of burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, personal accomplishment) in different caregiving contexts.
- To examine the impact of informal caregiving on both family care burnout and professional burnout.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted, screening and including studies that directly compared informal caregivers and non-caregivers on burnout measures.
- Studies were categorized into family care burnout (spousal, parental) and professional burnout (healthcare workers).
- Quantitative data on burnout dimensions were extracted and analyzed.
Main Results:
- Informal caregivers reported significantly higher emotional exhaustion than non-caregivers across both family and professional contexts.
- Caregivers also showed higher levels of depersonalization and reduced personal accomplishment in family caregiving studies.
- Workers with informal caregiving responsibilities exhibited greater emotional exhaustion compared to those without.
Conclusions:
- Informal caregiving is identified as a substantial risk factor for developing role burnout.
- Findings support the role accumulation theory, indicating that informal caregiving adds significant burden, impacting both personal and professional roles.
- The multifaceted impact of the caregiving role on individual well-being necessitates targeted support and interventions.
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