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The Caregiver Effect: How Their Mental Health Shapes Neurodegenerative Patient Care

We all have that feeling where sometimes when we see someone, we feel like half of our discomfort automatically disappears just because that person is around. Or how we’re more likely to visit a doctor who gives us “good vibes” because of the belief they’ll make us feel better. But why is that the case? It is because of what I like to call “The Caregiver Effect.”

The mental health of our caregiver determines a major part of our health! So when you go to the doctor with “good vibes” you are actually giving yourself higher chances of feeling better. And it’s not only their degrees and knowledge that matters, but it’s their own health that reflects in the care they give us. Poor caregiver mental health predicts the mortality of patients, especially those with neurodegenerative diseases. For diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with no cure, it becomes hard to determine what will help someone and what won’t when everything is dependent on your complicated brain. With its huge capacity and millions of mysteries, the brain is a major thing that determines the health of a neurodegenerative patient. Something that will easily thrive in the hands of the right caregivers.

My grandfather has been one of the sole caretakers of my grandmother, who has had Parkinson’s disease for over 20 years. I’ve seen him watch after her every need and utilize his otherworldly organization skills to give her the right medicine at the right time. From reading dozens of articles and doing research on Parkinson’s to spending his entire retirement looking after my grandmother, his fulfillment of his duties as a caregiver have gone beyond what I thought was possible. The doctors had never thought my grandma would survive Parkinson’s for so long, and I believe her long life is due to my grandfather’s caregiver abilities. And I’m close to the truth. 

A long life for a neurodegenerative patient would be difficult if their caregiver doesn’t have a strong mental health. Although providing the best possible care for the large and growing number of individuals with neurodegenerative disease is a priority, findings suggest that these efforts should also consider caregiver mental health. A study analyzed the role that caregiver mental health plays in patient mortality, and found that worse caregiver mental health predicted greater patient mortality. These findings highlight the importance of caring for caregivers as well as patients when trying to improve patients’ lives.

Caregivers fulfill patients’ essential needs, from helping them with daily living to advocating for their care. This is essential to a patient's outcomes, but it also takes a toll on the caregivers themselves. Many caregivers suffer from poor mental health, which may in turn shape the care patients receive. Although some find caring for a patient with neurodegenerative disease to be rewarding and remain resilient to the stress of caregiving, others find the experience to be extremely burdensome and develop significant physical and mental health problems. For example, caregivers suffer from depression at four times the rate of noncaregivers and are almost three times as likely to seek treatment for anxiety. Woah, caregiving is tough! This just goes to show how important a healthy mind is for both a patient and their caregiver.

People have analyzed factors that predict a neurodegenerative patient’s longevity, but less attention has been given to the influence a caregiver has. Many patients rely on family members for caregiving, estimates indicating that over 17 million Americans are providing unpaid care for an aging adult.

So next time someone cares for you, give them a thank you for what they do, and realize that you are a part of their health just as much as they are. 



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