There is increasing evidence that subjective caregiver burden is an important determinant of clinically significant anxiety in family carers. This meta-analysis aims to synthesise this evidence and investigate the relationship between subjective caregiver burden and anxiety symptoms in informal caregivers. We searched PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO up to January 2020. Combined estimates were obtained using a random-effects model. After screening of 4,312 articles, 74 studies (with 75 independent samples) were included. There was a large, positive association between subjective caregiver burden and anxiety symptoms (r = 0.51; 95% CI = 0.47, 0.54; I² = 0.0%). No differences were found in subgroup analyses by type of study design (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal), sampling, control of confounders or care-recipient characteristics. Subjective caregiver burden is an important risk factor for anxiety in informal caregivers. Targeting subjective caregiver burden could be beneficial in preventing clinically significant anxiety for the increasing number of family carers worldwide.

Family carers are an important source of care for older people. Although several studies have reported that subjective caregiver burden is related to depressive symptoms there are no systematic reviews quantifying this association. To establish the extent to which subjective caregiver burden is associated with depressive symptoms and whether this association would vary by study or care characteristics. We searched major databases such as PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and ISI Proceedings up to March 2018, and conducted a meta-analysis of included studies. Summary estimates of the association were obtained using a random-effects model to improve generalisation of findings. After screening of 4,688 articles, 55 studies were included providing a total of 56 independent comparisons with a total of 9,847 carers from data across 20 countries. There was a large, positive association between subjective caregiver burden and depressive symptoms ( = 0.514; 95% CI = 0.486, 0.541), with very low heterogeneity amongst individual studies (I² = 8.6%). Sensitivity analyses showed no differences between cross-sectional or repeated measures ( = 0.521; 95% CI = 0.491, 0.550; 51 samples) and longitudinal studies ( = 0.454; 95% CI = 0.398, 0.508; 6 samples). We found a higher effect size for those caring for people living with dementia compared to those caring for frail older people, and stroke survivors. Carer sex, age and kinship did not change the estimate of the effect. Subjective caregiver burden is a significant risk factor for depressive symptoms in carers of older people and may precipitate clinical depression. Those caring for people with dementia experience greater burden. There is a need for longitudinal evaluations examining the effects of potential mediators of the association of subjective burden and depressive symptoms. Future interventions should test whether minimizing subjective burden may modify the risk of developing depression in carers of older relatives.

Background: The sense of coherence is developed through the learning process and contributes to the positioning of individuals in the health-disease continuum, facilitating successful and adaptive personal outcomes. Health-related behaviours represent a health determinant of utmost importance for public health and the development of adolescent and youth health promotion policies, as they are related to the main risk factors and problems of morbidity and mortality in our society. Previous studies have analysed the relationship between sense of coherence and only some individual health outcomes such as oral health, the relationship of sense of coherence with smoking and alcohol consumption, concluding that salutogenic factors are related to quality of life and preventive behaviours. The aim of this systematic review was to describe the relationship of sense of coherence with different health-related behaviours investigated so far in the adolescent and youth population. Methods: A systematic review was carried out in databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus and PsycInfo) and in the bibliographies of the retrieved articles, without limitation of time or language. Associations between sense of coherence and health-related behaviours have been assessed. Results: A total of 1214 investigations were reviewed and 21 of them were included in this systematic review. The relationship between sense of coherence and eight health-related behaviours were identified (alcohol use, physical activity, tobacco use, eating habits, rest periods, use of illegal substances, behaviours related to oral health and time spent in games on the computer). Conclusions: Our results increase the available evidence and support the solid relationship of the sense of coherence with health behaviours both as a protective factor against risk behaviours and for its positive association with preventive and health promoting behaviours of adolescents, young adults and university students.

Social support is an important determinant of a carer’s mental health. In recent decades, despite many studies reporting on the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in informal caregivers of adult and older dependents, there are no systematic reviews synthesizing the available evidence. The purpose of the present study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms in informal caregivers of adults and older dependent people. We searched PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), PsycINFO (ProQuest), and Scopus, up to 15 January 2023 for studies. We applied no date or language limits to our search. A random-effects model was used to pool effect estimates. The included studies were also independently assessed for quality. Publication bias was evaluated by funnel plots, Egger’s regression test, and the Trim and Fill method. Ninety-three studies were included in the review, reporting on a total of 15,431 informal caregivers. We found a moderate negative association between perceived social support and caregiver depressive symptoms (78 studies; r = −0.35, 95% CI = −0.39, −0.31; low heterogeneity and low risk of publications bias) and a small negative association between received social support and caregiver self-reported depressive symptoms (12 studies; r = −0.14, 95% CI = −0.20, −0.07; low heterogeneity and low risk of publications bias). Our results indicate that social support is a clinically relevant construct for carer well-being and an important protective factor for depressive symptoms in informal caregivers of adult and older dependents.

This cross-sectional study aims to determine the level of subjective burden and anxiety of caregivers of dependent older relatives that start providing care in the hospital and to analyse the relationship between objective burden, subjective burden and anxiety in these caregivers. Seventy-two caregivers of dependent older relatives were recruited in a medium–long stay hospital. Sociodemographic variables, number of basic activities of daily living (ADLs) attended, hours of surveillance, burden, and anxiety were collected from caregivers. A trajectory analysis was used to analyse the relationship between variables. Of the caregivers, 36.1% had subjective burden and 14.9% had anxiety. Subjective burden was positively associated with the number of basic ADLs attended, the hours of surveillance, and the cognitive impairment of the care recipient. Anxiety was also positively associated with subjective burden. Subjective burden mediated the effects of the number of basic ADLs attended, hours of surveillance and the cognitive impairment of the care recipient on anxiety. The levels of subjective burden and anxiety in caregivers debuting in hospital care are elevated, showing the need for these caregivers to be cared for. Subjective burden is a possible risk factor for anxiety, independent of the objective burden; it may buffer the effects of objective burden on anxiety.