Caring for the Caregivers: Supporting Behavioral Health During National Family Caregivers Month

Each November, we honor the more than 63 million Americans who provide unpaid care to loved ones with health challenges. Family caregivers are the quiet backbone of our healthcare system, offering time, energy and emotional strength that often goes unrecognized. But caregiving, while deeply meaningful, can take a heavy toll on behavioral health.

The Hidden Cost of Caregiving
Caregiving is an act of love, and often, of sacrifice. The data is clear:

• Over one in five U.S. adults provides care to a family member or friend with a chronic health condition or disability.
• About 25.6% of caregivers report a lifetime diagnosis of depression compared with ~18.6% of non-caregivers.
• As many as 66.6% of unpaid caregivers reported at least one adverse mental- or behavioral-health symptom in a 30-day period.
• In one survey, 36% of caregivers reported feelings of depression, and 43% reported sleep difficulties.

Emotional exhaustion, disrupted sleep, chronic stress and social isolation often compound into long-term behavioral health challenges. Caregivers are more likely than non-caregivers to experience anxiety, mood disorders and even substance-use issues.

The Behavioral Health Impact
Chronic caregiving stress can alter the body’s stress response, increase the risk for anxiety and depression, and accelerate physical decline. Behavioral health support is vital for caregivers’ own wellbeing and their ability to continue caring for others. Yet access to meaningful, integrated support remains highly fragmented.

How NovaOne Helps Caregivers and Their Families
At NovaOne, we believe caregiving should never come at the cost of a caregiver’s own wellbeing. Our integrated platform brings together preventive self-care tools and curative provider access into one seamless experience, ensuring that caregivers can get the right support, exactly when they need it.

A Seamless, Preventive Digital Front Door
NovaOne offers evidence-based, on-demand self-care, making behavioral health approachable, relevant and actionable. Through guided, activity-based modules, caregivers can access short, focused tools for stress management, resilience, sleep and emotional regulation—anywhere, anytime.

Curative Care, When Needed
When a caregiver needs professional support, they can book direct appointments with 25+ evidence-based provider organizations, covering:

• Stress, anxiety and depression
• Substance-use and burnout
• Family and relationship challenges
• Maternal mental health

NovaOne’s model bridges preventive and curative care under one contract, one platform, one path—simplifying access and reducing complexity so caregivers don’t have to navigate multiple systems.

Tips for Caregivers to Protect Their Behavioral Health
Caring for yourself isn’t selfish, it’s essential. Here are some evidence-based strategies to help caregivers sustain their mental wellbeing:

1. Prioritize micro-moments of self-care. Even 10 minutes of mindfulness, breathwork or stretching each day helps reset stress.
2. Stay socially connected. Social support is one of the strongest buffers against burnout. Schedule regular check-ins with friends or join a caregiver-support group.
3. Set realistic expectations. You can’t do everything. Focus on what you can control and accept help when offered.
4. Seek professional support early. Don’t wait for a crisis. Digital behavioral-health tools and therapy are valid, proactive options.
5. Remember your own care matters. Compassion fatigue is real. Putting yourself last only erodes your ability to care for others.

Supporting the Ones Who Support Others
Family caregivers deserve the same level of care and compassion they give every day. By integrating preventive and curative behavioral health resources into a unified, accessible model, NovaOne helps caregivers strengthen their resilience, restore their wellbeing and continue their vital role without losing themselves in the process.

If you’re ready to explore how NovaOne can help your organization better support caregivers and their families, our team would love to connect. Let’s discuss how an integrated behavioral health model can make care more accessible, effective and sustainable.

Sources: AARP, APA, CDC, Senior Living.org