Every day, millions of people provide care for someone they love. They may be helping an aging parent remain independent, supporting a family member with a disability, caring for someone with a chronic or serious illness, or navigating a loved one’s complex medical and emotional needs.
Caregiving can bring connection, purpose, and meaning. But it can also be physically exhausting, emotionally demanding, and difficult to balance with work, family, finances, and a caregiver’s own needs.
The Growing Demands of Caregiving
Caregiving is more common than many people realize. According to the 2025 Caregiving in the U.S. report from AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, about 63 million Americans, nearly one in four adults, provide ongoing care for an adult or child with a complex medical condition or disability. That is an increase of 20 million caregivers since 2015.
For many, caregiving is also a significant time commitment. The same report found that 44% of caregivers are in high-intensity caregiving situations, and 29% are part of the “sandwich generation,” caring for both children and adults.
These responsibilities can significantly affect mental health. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that during 2021–2022, 20.5% of caregivers experienced frequent mental distress, compared with 13.6% of noncaregivers. The CDC also found that 25.6% of caregivers reported a lifetime diagnosis of depression, compared with 18.6% of noncaregivers.
These numbers reinforce what caregivers may already know from experience: Providing care for someone else can take a toll, especially when caregivers lack adequate opportunities to rest, recharge, or seek help.
Recognizing Caregiver Burnout
When caring for someone else becomes a priority, it can be easy to overlook changes in your well-being. Caregiver stress can build gradually, making it especially important to recognize when everyday stress becomes overwhelming.
Signs that a caregiver may need additional support may include:
- Feeling exhausted even after resting
- Becoming increasingly irritable, frustrated, anxious, or overwhelmed
- Losing interest in activities or relationships that once brought enjoyment
- Withdrawing from friends, family, or social activities
- Experiencing changes in sleep or appetite
- Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling hopeless, helpless, resentful, or emotionally numb
- Neglecting personal medical appointments or other health needs
- Feeling as though there is never an opportunity to take a break
These experiences do not mean someone is failing as a caregiver. Instead, they can signal that the demands of caregiving have exceeded the available support and resources.
Caring for Yourself While Caring for Someone Else
Protecting caregivers’ mental health does not necessarily require dramatic changes. Small, consistent steps can help caregivers maintain their well-being and ability to provide care.
- Ask for and accept help. Family members, friends, neighbors, community organizations, and professional services may be able to share responsibilities. When possible, be specific about what would help, such as preparing a meal, providing transportation, running an errand, or spending time with your loved one.
- Stay connected. Caregiving can be isolating. Maintaining relationships outside the caregiving role, even through a phone call, a walk, a support group, or coffee with a friend, can provide an important emotional outlet.
- Make your health a priority. Regular medical appointments, adequate sleep, movement, nutrition, and time away from caregiving responsibilities matter. Taking care of your physical and mental health is not separate from caregiving; it can help make caregiving more sustainable.
- Set realistic expectations. One person cannot do everything. Identifying what is essential, what can wait, and what can be delegated can reduce pressure and set more manageable expectations.
- Take breaks when possible. Respite care, help from family and friends, or other community-based services can give caregivers time to rest, attend appointments, participate in activities they enjoy, or simply have time to themselves.
- Seek mental health support when needed. A therapist, counselor, peer support group, or other mental health professional can provide a space to process grief, stress, frustration, guilt, and other emotions that may arise during caregiving.
Caregiver well-being should not rest solely on caregivers. Families, employers, health care providers, community organizations, and policymakers all have a role in creating environments where caregivers can ask for help and receive meaningful support. We can better support the supporters by recognizing their needs, sharing the responsibility for care, and reminding caregivers that protecting their mental health matters, too.
Additional Support Through Mental Health Connecticut
Caregivers don’t have to navigate mental health needs alone. Mental Health Connecticut’s Mental Health Concierge provides personalized support and care coordination, helping individuals and families connect with resources, build coping strategies, and navigate services. Available to individuals ages 16 and older across Connecticut, the program offers support through telehealth and in-person services.
