Examining the associations between informal caregivers’ social needs and their mental health in the United States using 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data

Nearly one in five U.S. adults is a caregiver, yet the impact of health-related social needs (HRSNs) on their mental health remains understudied. This study examines socio-demographic differences between caregivers and non-caregivers and whether HRSNs increase adverse mental health outcomes for caregivers. A cross-sectional analysis of the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) dataset, using multivariable logistic regression, assessed caregiving factors and the associations between HRSNs and mental health. Of 22,688 adults sampled from Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, and Louisiana, 21.6% of the weighted sample were caregivers. Caregivers were more often female and reported higher odds of isolation, utility insecurity, and transportation insecurity. Caregivers experiencing isolation show greater odds of stress, frequent poor mental health days, and depression. Caregivers experienced significantly elevated health-related social needs, particularly social isolation, which was strongly associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including stress, frequent poor mental health days, and depression. There is an urgent need for population mental health strategies, such as integrated screening and intervention programs, that address both the material and social dimensions of caregiver burden.