Men who care sought for University of Sydney study
A University of Sydney research project wants to hear from men who provide care and support to people with long-term health conditions.
The School of Health Sciences academics will conduct one-on-one interviews with men about their caring experiences.
They could be a husband, father, partner, son, brother or friend, caring for someone in an ‘informal’ support role.
The purpose of the research is twofold: to explore how socially connected people living with a long-term health condition feel and their experiences of belonging and loneliness, and to learn what it is like for those who are caring for them.
“The study findings will provide a better understanding of social connectedness and loneliness to guide health practice and policy to improve support and care for people living with long-term health conditions and those who support them,” stated the research team.
Funded by the Australian Research Council, those eligible to participate in the study must be aged 18 years or older and provide care or support for people with long-term health conditions.
Interviews will take approximately 45 minutes, and participants will receive a $30 gift voucher in appreciation of their involvement, which will remain anonymous.
Review Participant Information Sheet
For more information or to join the research, contact [email protected]
Or call (02) 8627 6985
According to a 2021 Carers Australia survey, one in 10 Australians is a carer. The Wellbeing Carer Survey collected information from 5,800 unpaid carers supporting friends or family members for up to 10-15 hours per week. The survey recruited people in an existing national survey database, those registered with care providers across Australia and members of carer’s representative organisations.
They concluded that Australia’s carers are two and a half times more likely to have low wellbeing than the average Australian adult. The survey found that 35% of carers often or always felt lonely, compared to 11% of Australians.
More than half of all carers – 52.8 – reported that their household was either very poor, poor or just getting along financially compared to 33.8% of Australians.
According to a 2016 ABS Census of Population and Housing, almost half of Australia’s carers are aged between 45 and 64, and 40% are male.
Download the Carers Wellbeing Survey 2021
These numbers do not account for informal supports provided by males. The Men Care Too website estimates that 1.2 million Australian men are in caring roles and encourages men to speak up about the challenging and positive sides of caring.
Visit MenCareToo.org to learn more and connect with other men to develop strategies and engage with men in caring roles.