ArticlePloS one2020
An online survey of informal caregivers' unmet needs and associated factors.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Shear-wave elastography for the evaluation of tendinopathies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.La Radiologia medica · 2024Pooled it
- Effectiveness of a supportive care program via a smartphone application on the quality of life and care burden among family caregivers of patients with major depressive disorder: a randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2024Trial
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- Considerations of equity in the development of tools that identify and respond to end-of-life carer support needs: a scoping review.BMJ open · 2026Article
- Supporting the Caregivers of Children With Developmental Disabilities in a Low-Resource Setting: What Are Their Needs?Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARID · 2026Article
- Article
- Unveiling the Hidden Challenges: A Systematic Review of Self-Identified Caregiver Support Needs for Older Adults in Canada.Public health reviews · 2026Review
- Patients' and relatives' perspectives on the quality of end-of-Life care in advanced cancer: From the final months to bereavement.PloS one · 2026Article
- Dementia Caregivers' Perspectives on Technology's Place in Care Practices: Mixed Methods Survey.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- A Conceptual Model for Strengthening Family Capabilities Through a Process of Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- Informal Caregivers Connecting on the Web: Content Analysis of Posts on Discussion Forums.JMIR formative research · 2025Article
- "Less words, more pictures": creating and sharing data visualizations from a remote health monitoring system with clinicians to improve cancer pain management.Frontiers in digital health · 2025Article
- Article
- Comprehensive needs assessment tool for informal cancer caregivers (CNAT-ICs): Instrument development and cross-sectional validation study.International journal of nursing studies advances · 2024Article
- Long-Term Caregiving Impact and Self-Care Strategies in Family Caregivers of People with Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Mixed-Method Study.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Development and preliminary validation of a questionnaire on the care needs of family carers of older individuals with disabilities in China: a mixed methods study.BMC geriatrics · 2024Article
- Informing a Future Clinician-Led Virtual Reality Experience Through Oncology Caregivers' Pre-Treatment Preparation Experiences.Delaware journal of public health · 2024Article
- Older adults with overlapping caregiving responsibilities and care needs in a U.S. national community-based sample.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2024Article
- Cross-country variations in the caregiver role: evidence from the ENTWINE-iCohort study.BMC public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
PURPOSE/
objectiveThe purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of unmet needs of carers among a convenience sample of carers, and the participant factors associated with unmet needs, to inform the development of interventions that will support a range of caregivers. The aims of this study were to: (1) assess the most frequently reported moderate-high unmet needs of caregivers; and (2) examine the age, gender, condition of the care recipient, and country variables associated with types of unmet needs reported by informal caregivers. RESEARCH METHOD/
designAn online cross-sectional survey among informal caregivers in English-speaking countries was conducted. Self-reported unmet needs were assessed using an unmet needs measure with the following five unmet needs domains: (1) Health information and support for care recipient; (2) Health service management; (3) Communication and relationship; (4) Self-care; and (5) Support services accessibility. Informal caregivers were asked "In the last month, what was your level of need for help with…", and the ten highest ranked moderate-high unmet needs presented as ranked proportions. Logistic regression modelling examined the factors associated with types of unmet needs.
resultsOverall, 457 caregivers were included in the final analysis. Seven of the ten highest ranked unmet needs experienced by caregivers in the last month were in the Self-care domain, including "Reducing stress in your life" (74.1%). Significant associations were found between younger caregiver age (18-45 years) and reporting moderate-high unmet needs in Health Information and support for care recipient, Health service management, and Support services accessibility (all p's = <0.05). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Caregivers are not experiencing significant differences in unmet needs between countries and caree/care recipient conditions, suggesting that general interventions could be developed to support a range of caregivers across countries. Increased awareness of informal caregivers' unmet needs, particularly for younger caregivers, among health care providers may improve support provision to caregivers.
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