Insights from the SBU on the ARC review of local authority support for family carers
The Swedish Agency for Health Technology Assessment and Assessment of Social Services (SBU) recently provided a commentary on a review conducted at the Aging Research Center (ARC) in collaboration with affiliated researchers. The review focused on interventions to support informal caregivers—family members or close friends who care for older adults without formal compensation.
Informal caregiving is increasingly common, driven by societal changes and shifts in healthcare resources. While caregiving can be rewarding, it often leads to stress, especially when caregivers feel obligated or lack adequate support. Since 2009, Swedish municipalities have been legally required to provide support to caregivers, but awareness and uptake of these services remain limited.
The ARC review synthesized findings from 47 systematic reviews, encompassing 619 primary studies, to evaluate the effectiveness of health-promoting interventions for informal caregivers. The goal was to assess how well these interventions address caregivers' physical and psychological health outcomes.
In its commentary (in Swedish), SBU agrees with the review’s main conclusions:
- Uncertain effectiveness: The overall impact of the interventions is unclear due to variability in the quality and outcomes of the studies.
- Multicomponent interventions: Programs that include a mix of elements, such as education, counseling, and respite care, tend to show more consistent benefits for caregiver well-being.
- Diverse caregiver needs: Not all caregivers have the same needs. Tailored strategies are necessary to address the wide range of experiences and challenges caregivers face.
- Caregiver perspectives: The review highlights the importance of participatory research and practice, as considering caregivers’ views in designing effective support programs is crucial.
SBU emphasizes the need for more nuanced and effective support systems for informal caregivers. It calls for future research to develop and evaluate interventions that reflect the diverse needs of caregivers, ensuring their well-being as they continue to play a key role in older people’s care.
“We are very grateful that SBU thoroughly reviewed our study and recognized the importance of this kind of evidence for Sweden. We are seeing a rise in informal care, and the state must be ready to support this essential group,” said Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga, senior researcher at the Aging Research Center (ARC) and the study’s principal investigator.
“This review is part of my PhD project, examining trends in informal caregiving among older adults. I’m glad SBU has highlighted its relevance, as identifying effective interventions for increasingly burdened caregivers is critical as populations age and formal services face higher demands,” said Mariam Kirvalidze, doctoral student at ARC and first author of the study.