Nccsdo

The aim of this report is to provide a scoping review of evaluation studies of interventions and serv ices to support carers of people with m ental health problem s, to discuss issues relating to the effectiveness and cost - effectiveness of interventions, and to provide insights into areas where there are gaps in knowledge. The report is accom panied by a second report, the Consultation Report, that docum ents a consultation exercise held with key stakeholders, including ‘key informant’ carers.

Almost seven million adults in Britain care for sick, elderly or disabled friends and relatives on an unpaid basis. Caring is physically and mentally demanding, and many carers say it has a negative impact on their own well-being. But despite this, carers’ health needs often go unaddressed. Sometimes this is due to professionals not recognising or understanding these needs. Sometimes it is due to difficulties getting an appointment that fits around their caring responsibilities.

The study aimed to establish the current state of knowledge about the effectiveness and cost- effectiveness of respite services and short breaks for carers for people with dementia.

It is possible that effective information-sharing strategies to improve the quality of care can be developed. Service users, carers and professionals should all be involved in generating such strategies. The ideal information-sharing strategy can be tailored to individuals' needs and requires professionals to make carefully weighted judgements. Professionals need training to help them to understand the roles of carers and to work with carers effectively. Training should be accredited in order to encourage attendance.

The aims of the study were to summarise available research evidence, to identify key gaps in existing knowledge and to identify priorities for further research in the area of services to support carers. The literature review examined and summarised evidence from published and unpublished literature (both UK and international) between 1985 and 2001 about effective and cost-effective services to support carers.