​​Prepare to Care is a campaign led by a group of final-year students from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The campaign, which is supported by the Institute of Mental Health and Caregivers Alliance Limited, aims to reach out to caregivers of children and adolescents with mental health issues, to encourage them to better prepare themselves mentally and normalise help-seeking behaviours.

Caring for someone can be a stressful and difficult job, one that is almost 24/7. A survey conducted by Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2020, in collaboration with Caregiver Alliance Limited and Singapore Association for Mental Health, showed that 3 in 4 caregivers are tired and exhausted. Over time, the constant stress and fatigue experienced can eventually lead to caregiver burnout.  

What are the steps that you can take to prevent caregiver burnout? Here are 3 ways:​ 

Practising Self-Care 

Maintaining Positive Social Connections 

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The caregiving journey requires team effort. You need to communicate well with not just your loved ones but other members of their care team such as the therapist, medical social worker, case worker, etc. It is important to build stronger relationships to create the best environment for our loved one’s recovery. We explore that in the following two articles:

Communicating with your loved one 

 

 

Cheryl - A caregiving journey filled with hope, love and support 

Ron - Understanding the needs of a younger loved one 

Prashant - Becoming best friends through trust and communication 

 

The costs and energy required to care for your loved one recovering from a mental health condition can be high. Having useful resources on hand is essential to ensure that you have the support that you need throughout your caregiver journey.

Find out more about the types of financial aid and emotional support you available.

Caregiver courses, support groups and counselling services​​