The coronavirus pandemic has a significant impact on people’s mental health, especially on unpaid carers’. According to a study, the pressure of balancing work and family life has taken a severe toll on women’s wellbeing, with more women than men reporting suffering from anxiety because of Covid-19. Women’s informal care role during the pandemic also had considerable effects on their mental health, with women reporting increased anxiety and worry about their family and well-being and about finances. Women with younger children have been disproportionately affected. In addition, it is estimated that there are almost 67,000 young people in Ireland aged 10-17 who provide regular unpaid care for a loved one. New research has found that young carers tend to have higher levels of depressive symptoms than young people who do not provide care to others. “Increasing social activities among young carers may be one way of helping them cope with the challenges of caring”, Professor Gallagher said. Regarding the Government, they have hailed the €20 billion national service plan budget as the largest ever, as senior officials warned urgent reforms were still at the mercy of Covid-19 uncertainties. Yet it is uncertain if this plan could be helpful for the unpaid carers. Accordingly, this panel aims to draw people’s attention to the unpaid carers in Ireland, whose mental health may suffer more under the pandemic, and discuss constructive and practical solutions to help them. SPEAKERS: 

Gerard O’Brien – Motivational Speaker | EFT Practitioner | Life Coach | Mental Health Advocate 

Martin Rogan – CEO of ‘Mental health Ireland’ 

Bernadette Grogan – Policy and Research Manager at Mental Health Reform