Welcome to the 22nd WCP Congress Program Scheduling

Abstract Body

Burnout is a considerable risk for informal and family carers. It affects their mental and physical health as well as their care capacity. Data on prevention, assessment, coping and treatment of burnout suggest beneficial effects of individual and group strategies as practiced and promoted by family and informal carers in self-help and advocacy settings of local and international organizations. Unfortunately, despite ongoing family advocacy the situation in most psychiatric care settings is still characterized by significant unmet needs and lack of resources and expertise in working with families and informal carers. A partnership approach as formulated in WPA’s recommendations on Best Practice in Working With Service Users and Carers has the potential of improving this situation in terms of better understanding determinants of family and informal caregiver burnout as well as developing strategies for prevention, recognition and treatment. Current research efforts focus on integrating pertinent concepts such as caregiver burden, stressors, coping strategies and resources under different circumstances, which include for example different types of relationships, diagnoses, life stages, and socioeconomic situations. Consequences and determinants of family and informal carer burnout can be identified on different levels, such as personal and interpersonal as well as environmental and sociocultural and warrant a multilevel response. Psychiatrists and other mental health professionals are essential players within the complex network of efforts necessary to improve the situation of family and informal carers and strengthen their resilience.