Carers’ wellbeing lowest on record

Carers have the lowest wellbeing index score for any large group in Australia, according to research undertaken by Professor Bob Cummins from Deakin University.

“After 17 surveys of the Australian population, I am not aware of any group that has ever been found to have a wellbeing score as low as carers,” Professor Cummins said.

The Wellbeing of Australians: Carer Health and Wellbeing Report builds on the Australian Unity Wellbeing Index which has been developed in partnership between Australian Unity and Deakin University to measure how satisfied Australians are with their lives and life in Australia.

The Index investigates satisfaction with economic, environmental and social conditions in Australia, as well as giving ongoing insights into our perceptions of individual wellbeing.

“The average score of the Australian population usually sits between 73 and 76,” explained Professor Cummins.

“We’ve found in this study of around 4,000 carers, that their average score sits at 58.5 which is alarmingly low. It’s particularly worrying due to the sheer scale of the survey.
It shows the enormous strain and challenge that these Australians are under.”