Unpaid carers 'suffering with mental ill health'

Many unpaid carers who are not given help are struggling to cope with their responsibilities in looking after loved ones with long-term health conditions.

That is according to a poll by a newly formed charity Carers Trust, which found that six in 10 of the people they questioned said taking care of a close family member has had a negative impact on their own career and mental health.

Two in three also stated they had not reached out to any services available for unpaid carers before, such as counselling. A further six in 10 of carers who had been responsible for a person's wellbeing for five years or more had equally never contacted services that provide support.

Currently there are around six million British carers who are taking care of ill or disabled family members or friends.

The charity said that a number of those find the strain of their responsibilities often lead to them feeling detached from society.

'As this survey shows, many unpaid carers have never accessed any support services to help them in their caring role. We already know that many carers simply don't have any awareness of the kind of help that is out there and what a huge difference it could make to their lives,' said Anne Roberts, chief executive of Carers Trust.

'We've launched Carers Trust so we can ensure that all carers know where to go to get that help when they need it and to help society recognise and value the role of carers in our communities across the UK.'

Copyright Press Association 2012