The Global and Community Mental Health Research Group of the University of Macau (UM) recently collaborated with the Fuhong Society of Macau, a nonprofit social service organisation, on a study on the caregiving burden and mental health condition of Chinese caregivers of people with intellectual and mental disabilities in Macao.
The study interviewed 234 caregivers with a family member diagnosed with intellectual or mental disabilities, and found 31.7% of them reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms and 46.6% reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Caregiving difficulty, caregiving burden, and lack of adequate financial support are key correlates of these disorders. The findings have important implications for informal caregivers, community service providers, and policymakers. Policies formulated based on these findings are expected to create better support for caregivers in the local community. The study was recently accepted for publication in the British Journal of Health Psychology.
This project has demonstrated a successful model in which local nonprofit social service organisations, community stakeholders, and UM academics can work together to conduct consequential research aimed at improving the welfare of the local community. The research group appreciates Fuhong Society of Macau’s effort to initiate the caregiver project based on the needs of their service users. Members of the group say they felt honoured to be a part of this meaningful work.
Authors of the study include Sit Hao Fong, a first-year PhD student in the Department of Psychology and a member of the Global and Community Mental Health Research Group of UM under Prof Brian Hall’s supervision; Huang Lei, a graduate from UM’s Department of Sociology and a current student of epidemiology in the Master of Public Health Programme at the Jockey Club School of Public Health, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Chau Wai I, director of Fuhong Society of Macau; as well as associate professors Kay Chang and Brian Hall in the department. Prof Hall is also the director of the Global and Community Mental Health Research Group.
澳門大學全球與社區心理健康研究組最近與非營利社會服務組織——澳門扶康會就澳門照顧智力和精神殘疾人士的華人所承受的負擔和心理健康狀況進行調查，研究的發現為非正式照顧者、社區服務人員和決策者提供了重要的啟示，獲《英國健康心理學雜誌》（British Journal of Health Psychology）刊登。
研究訪問了234名照顧患有智力或精神殘疾的家庭成員的人士，結果發現其中31.7％和46.6％的人分別有中度至重度的抑鬱和焦慮症狀，而護理困難、護理負擔和缺乏足夠的經濟支持是引起抑鬱和焦慮的關鍵因素。這些發現為非正式照顧者、社區服務人員和決策者提供了重要的啟示，有助為當地社區的照顧者提供更好的支援服務。
研究小組主任賀佰恩表示，今次澳大學者與非營利社會服務組織和社區利益相關者一起開展研究來改善社區福利，展示了一個成功的合作模式。他非常感謝澳門扶康會根據服務使用者的需求發起這個項目，小組成員也很榮幸受邀為合作夥伴，為這項有意義的工作做出貢獻。
研究人員包括心理學系一年級博士生及澳大全球和社區心理健康研究小組成員薛巧鳳、澳大社會學系畢業生黃蕾、澳大心理學系副教授曾子雅和賀佰恩，以及澳門扶康會總幹事周惠儀。
