Every year on 10 October, World Mental Health Day reminds us that mental health is everyone’s business. For millions of long-term care (LTC) workers and informal carers, however, mental health is not just an awareness topic; it is a daily challenge. Carers provide essential support for older adults, children, people with disabilities, and chronic illness patients. Yet their psychological burden is immense:

• Formal LTC workers face heavy workloads, emotionally demanding tasks, low job control, and often precarious contracts, especially in home care or independent-living settings.
• Informal carers, who provide around 80% of all long-term care in the EU, experience high stress, social isolation, disrupted employment, and increased risk of depression and burnout. Many juggle care with work and family responsibilities (“sandwich carers”), amplifying strain.
• Across the EU, only a quarter of households with people with disabilities receive formal home-based long-term care services.
• Policy commitments exist, but implementation is still uneven and underfunded.

The WELL CARE project highlights that these challenges are not individual failings, but systemic issues. Policies often lack the resources, recognition, and structures needed to truly support carers’ mental health. The WELL CARE Report on Analysis of Legislation, Policies, Care Frameworks and Funding Schemes provides clear recommendations to:

• Prioritise prevention of psychosocial risks at work
• Ensure peer support, counselling, and resilience training
• Improve remuneration, recognition, and working conditions
• Integrate formal and informal care supports
• Address gender and social inequalities in caregiving
• Strengthen governance and accountability of care policies

This World Mental Health Day, we must remember: supporting carers is supporting society as a whole. Investing in their mental health ensures quality care for everyone.

Read the full WELL CARE Report on Analysis of Legislation, Policies, Care Frameworks and Funding Schemes here.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.