The Hidden Health Toll on Vietnamese Spouses Caring for Elderly Partners

Globally, more and more people are living longer, which means there's a growing need for long-term care (LTC). In many places, spouses often step up to provide this care. While research in richer countries shows that this can have negative effects on caregivers' health and happiness, not much is known about this in poorer countries like Vietnam. Vietnam is aging fast, and its system for long-term care is still developing. A study there used a special method to compare spouses who provide care with those who don't, to see how caregiving affects health and well-being.It found that caregivers are more likely to feel down, be unhappy with life, and have trouble doing daily activities. These effects depend a lot on the caregiver's personal details. This study is the first to look at this issue in Vietnam, and it shows that something needs to be done to help these caregivers.