International Conference 2024 | Supporting Caregivers’ Mental Health Across Contexts

The 10th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health (ICSWHMH) was held in November 2024 in Melbourne. This significant event in successfully brought together social work professionals, researchers, educators, and students from around the world to discuss and share the latest developments in the field of social work in health and mental health.

Recording 1

Needs and Coping Strategies in Mental Crises: The Viewpoint of Caregivers in Taiwan

Presenter: Mr. Huan-Wen Chen (Taiwan) & Miss Yi-En Hsieh (Taiwan)

This session will introduce the experiences of caregivers of individuals experiencing mental health crises in Taiwan, highlighting the specific issues of medicalization and familialization within this context. Through in-depth interviews with 19 caregivers, this research uncovers their experiences, needs, and coping strategies they develop under the strain of limited mental health resources. We try to explore the often overlooked dimensions of mental crises, which extend beyond mere safety risks to include symptoms, relationships, and resource availability. The session will also explore the nine critical decision factors that caregivers consider when managing mental crises, offering a redefined understanding of what constitutes a ‘mental crisis’ and its diverse impacts on families. This session is particularly beneficial for mental health professionals, policymakers, and caregivers who wish to understand the complexities of crisis management better and improve support systems for families in mental health contexts.

Key takeaways include:

• Rethink the diverse dimensions of mental crises.
• Identify gaps in current mental health services and the policy for caregivers.
• Understand the caregivers’ experiences of dealing with mental crises.

Recording 2

They Don't Train You About Love: Supporting the Mental Health of Modern Foster and Kinship Carers

Presenters: Ms Kathryn Eberly (Australia, VIC)

Providing care for children in the Out of Home Care system is complex and challenging. Modern kinship and foster carers juggle the demands of work, family and caring. Carers carry the day-to-day responsibilities of supporting children, including the provision of therapeutic care approaches in their home. The nature of modern care can lead to carers experiencing systemic stress, complicated grief and mental health challenges. Supporting the mental health of carers is crucial to placement stability and overall carer retention within the system. Restoring Families provides Carer Debriefing interventions to carer households to support them to process the “occupational hazards” of providing good care to children.

This session will explore common themes across hundreds of debriefing sessions and presents a model that explores and normalises the impacts of reciprocal, attachment-based processes when complex challenges arise. For those working in the out of home care space we suggest strategies and interventions that support carers to manage the impacts of caring and propose practical ideas to support carer mental health and enhance carer retention.

Recording 3

From Fear to Empowerment: Supporting Caregiving Preparedness in Hong Kong

Presenters: Dr Sally Ka-Wing Lo (Hong Kong)

This presentation reports on an ongoing research project examining the experiences of informal caregivers and the fears and stresses associated with caregiving roles. Drawing on interviews and focus groups conducted in Hong Kong, it explores caregivers’ concerns about balancing care responsibilities with personal, emotional, and practical challenges. The presentation incorporates three case studies to illustrate the emotional burden of caregiving and introduces a proposed advance care planning framework designed to empower caregivers, build confidence, and support open conversations about future care arrangements.

AASW Credentials: Mental Health