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Carers

Disclaimer:

This publication is based on a Mind UK publication and the original version may be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/a-z-mental-health/

Thank you to Mind UK for sharing their valuable content with us. Content included in Mental Health A-Z is made available free of charge and does not form part of any commercial activity. The adaptation has been done independently by Mind HK and is intended for general information purposes only.

What challenges do carers face?

Caring for someone else can often be demanding, and you are not alone if you feel overwhelmed at times. You might find some parts of life challenging and this may leave you feeling stressed and isolated. Over time, this can lead to mental health problems. If you already live with a mental health problem, being a carer could affect your ability to stay well.

If you are caring for someone, you may face the following challenges:

Stress and worry

You may often feel stressed and worried if you’re caring for someone else. You could spend a lot of time thinking about their illness and the impact it is having on both of your lives. You may always be thinking about things you need to do as part of your role as a carer, and find it hard to switch off. You may have difficulty sleeping, be eating too much or too little and find your mood is affected.

If you feel this way over a long period of time, it can have a big impact on your mental health and you can become unwell.

Social isolation

Many people find it hard to make time to socialise or carry on with hobbies or interests. You may also feel guilty if you take time for yourself. You may feel like your life is very different from other people’s, and that they don’t understand how you are feeling. If you feel worried that you or the person you care for might face stigma, you may find it hard to let people know that you are a carer. This can make you feel very lonely.

Over time, social isolation can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

“You feel like your peers cannot relate to what you have to deal with at home. You are envious of people around you that have a ‘normal’ life, especially if you have no other family support.”

Money worries

You may find that you need to pay for extra care or medical costs. You may be spending lots of money on travel costs, especially if you don’t live with the person you care for. This can put a strain on your finances, and may mean you have to cut back on other things, causing practical issues and additional stress. You may also find that you are not receiving enough financial support or benefits in order to meet these costs, and experience financial worries. Many carers struggle to cover costs, and get into debt.

Physical health problems

Caring can be physically demanding. If your role as carer involves lifting or carrying, you could suffer from aches and pains, particularly in your back. You may feel run down and tired a lot of the time. This can make you more likely to experience physical illness, which could develop into a long-term problem. You may not have enough time to be physically active or to cook healthy food.

“Despite having physical health problems myself, I care for my sister and my elderly parents. I get so tired and have little help. I wish I could have a week off and just sleep. But you just have to keep going.”

Depression

You may find that the challenges you face while being a carer make you feel low or depressed. If you feel very frustrated or hopeless, you may also have thoughts of harming yourself or even of ending your life. You may also develop unhelpful coping strategies to deal with these difficult feelings, such as using drugs or alcohol, or eating more or less than you need to.

Frustration and anger

You may often feel very frustrated and angry, especially if you have had to give up parts of your own life. Or, you might feel that you have been given no choice about becoming a carer.

You might end up directing this anger at family or at the person you care for. This could make you feel guilty.

Low self-esteem

Being a carer can have a big impact on your self-esteem. You may feel that you are not worthy of care and attention, and that all your time should be focused on the person you care for. You may find it hard to interact socially, or feel that you are missing out on parts of having a normal life.

You may lose confidence in yourself and your abilities to do anything outside of your caring responsibilities.

“I got no support and didn’t really know there was anywhere or anyone I could turn to. It had a huge impact on my mental health. I developed obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety and depression. ”

 

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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

 

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggle.

 

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

Your mental health

What challenges do carers face?

Caring for someone else can often be demanding, and you are not alone if you feel overwhelmed at times. You might find some parts of life challenging and this may leave you feeling stressed and isolated. Over time, this can lead to mental health problems. If you already live with a mental health problem, being a carer could affect your ability to stay well.

If you are caring for someone, you may face the following challenges:

Stress and worry

You may often feel stressed and worried if you’re caring for someone else. You could spend a lot of time thinking about their illness and the impact it is having on both of your lives. You may always be thinking about things you need to do as part of your role as a carer, and find it hard to switch off. You may have difficulty sleeping, be eating too much or too little and find your mood is affected.

If you feel this way over a long period of time, it can have a big impact on your mental health and you can become unwell.

Social isolation

Many people find it hard to make time to socialise or carry on with hobbies or interests. You may also feel guilty if you take time for yourself. You may feel like your life is very different from other people’s, and that they don’t understand how you are feeling. If you feel worried that you or the person you care for might face stigma, you may find it hard to let people know that you are a carer. This can make you feel very lonely.

Over time, social isolation can lead to mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

"You feel like your peers cannot relate to what you have to deal with at home. You are envious of people around you that have a ‘normal’ life, especially if you have no other family support."

Money worries

You may find that you need to pay for extra care or medical costs. You may be spending lots of money on travel costs, especially if you don’t live with the person you care for. This can put a strain on your finances, and may mean you have to cut back on other things, causing practical issues and additional stress. You may also find that you are not receiving enough financial support or benefits in order to meet these costs, and experience financial worries. Many carers struggle to cover costs, and get into debt.

Physical health problems

Caring can be physically demanding. If your role as carer involves lifting or carrying, you could suffer from aches and pains, particularly in your back. You may feel run down and tired a lot of the time. This can make you more likely to experience physical illness, which could develop into a long-term problem. You may not have enough time to be physically active or to cook healthy food.

“Despite having physical health problems myself, I care for my sister and my elderly parents. I get so tired and have little help. I wish I could have a week off and just sleep. But you just have to keep going.”

Depression

You may find that the challenges you face while being a carer make you feel low or depressed. If you feel very frustrated or hopeless, you may also have thoughts of harming yourself or even of ending your life. You may also develop unhelpful coping strategies to deal with these difficult feelings, such as using drugs or alcohol, or eating more or less than you need to.

Frustration and anger

You may often feel very frustrated and angry, especially if you have had to give up parts of your own life. Or, you might feel that you have been given no choice about becoming a carer.

You might end up directing this anger at family or at the person you care for. This could make you feel guilty.

Low self-esteem

Being a carer can have a big impact on your self-esteem. You may feel that you are not worthy of care and attention, and that all your time should be focused on the person you care for. You may find it hard to interact socially, or feel that you are missing out on parts of having a normal life.

You may lose confidence in yourself and your abilities to do anything outside of your caring responsibilities.

“I got no support and didn’t really know there was anywhere or anyone I could turn to. It had a huge impact on my mental health. I developed obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety and depression. ”