Carers, do you have a plan to protect your mental wellbeing?
Fleurieu Wellbeing Be Well Plan
With so much on the internet these days about wellbeing, resilience and coping, it’s hard to know which strategies really work and more importantly, which ones will work for you. Thankfully, researchers from The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute have created a program to help you build a tailored plan, with a mobile app that you can take anywhere.
So what is wellbeing, resilience and coping?
Whilst there’s no single definition of wellbeing because wellbeing looks different for everyone, one area in the field of psychology, called Positive Psychology, is particularly interested in understanding which factors promote wellbeing and strengthen resilience and coping.
Wellbeing can be defined as a state of flourishing in which we enjoy a full and meaningful life and resilience is our ability to navigate and grow through life’s challenges.
Why is wellbeing so important for Carers?
Caring for someone means wellbeing skills are a ‘must have’ rather than a ‘nice to have’ set of tools in our toolbox.
The literature paints a very clear picture of the increased risk of health problems associated with the Carers role including depression, lowered immunity, headaches, pain and muscle aches, heart conditions, diabetes and a lack of sleep. So it’s a good idea to see your doctor regularly.
The 2022 National Carers Survey showed that Carers in South Australia typically;
Spend over 100 hours each week for an average of 10 years, caring for a loved one
1 in 2 Carers experience high or very high psychological distress
54% are socially isolated, leading to poor social participation, economic and health outcomes
“Some days are great, some are crap and others you just want to walk away”
- National Carer Survey Highlights (2022)
But it’s not all bad news
The Carers role also has an upside which can be harnessed to build wellbeing, increased resilience and coping. Carers in general experience a strong sense of purpose, meaning and greater connection with their loved one. In fact, many Carers initially take on the role out of necessity and find that it can be one of the most important and rewarding things they do.
“Being a Carer has made me realise how important it is for society to care”
- National Carer Survey Highlights (2022)
How a psychological training program like Be Well Plan can help
The team at SAHMRI Be Well Co. spent 3 years reviewing studies to discover which strategies and interventions can help us to reduce distress, improve our wellbeing and develop psychological flexibility. Their findings indicate that positive psychology interventions, cognitive behaviour skills and acceptance and commitment skills are the clear winners when it comes to raising wellbeing. They’ve created the Be Well Plan training program, including a measurement tracker, activities and app to help you proactively look after your mental health and share it with your loved ones.
In this video, Joep discusses the Be Well Plan program and how it’s proven to reduce distress and enhance wellbeing and resilience. Learn more about Be Well Plan here.
Free one on one counselling for Carers is available here.
From one Carer to another, it’s my heartfelt hope that you seek support for yourself when you need it and don’t forget respite services and other supports are now available through the Carers organisation in your state.
Stay safe and well
Kim
References
American Psychological Association. (2023). Mental and Physical health Effects of Family Caregiving. https://www.apa.org/pi/about/publications/caregivers/faq/health-effects
Be Well Co. (n.d.). About Be Well Lab. https://www.bewellco.io/be-well-lab
Carers NSW. (2020). 2022 National Carers Survey. https://www.carersnsw.org.au/uploads/main/Files/5.About-us/Our-research/2022-National-Carer-Survey-National-Highlights.pdf
Joseph, S., (2017). What Exactly Is Well-Being? New research lists the fourteen components of well-being. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/what-doesnt-kill-us/201708/what-exactly-is-well-being
National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum. (2011). Unravelling Psychosocial Disability, A Position Statement by the National Mental Health Consumer & Carer Forum on Psychosocial Disability Associated with Mental Health Conditions. Canberra: NMHCCF.
Reivich, K., (n.d.). The Resilience Factor - a conversation with Dr. Karen Reivich. Living with HEART. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=VYL4HKU230s
van Agteren J, Ali K, Fassnacht D, Iasiello M, Furber G, Howard A, Woodyatt L, Musker M, Kyrios M. (2021). Testing the Differential Impact of an Internet-Based Mental Health Intervention on Outcomes of Well-being and Psychological Distress During COVID-19: Uncontrolled Intervention Study. JMIR Mental Health 2021;8(9):e28044. https://mental.jmir.org/2021/9/e28044 DOI: 10.2196/28044
van Agteren, J., Iasiello, M., Lo, L., Bartholomaeus, J., Kopsaftis, Z., Carey, M., & Kyrios, M. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychological interventions to improve mental wellbeing. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(5), 631–652. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01093-w
