Caregiving: an emerging risk factor for emotional and physical pathology

Caregiving is the act of attending to someone or of providing services to an individual in need. It is a complex activity, with ethical, psychosocial, and demographic dimensions, as well as clinical, technical, and community service components. The author describes the complexities of caregiving and the burdens on the family in a rapidly aging society. He points out that caregiving is associated with significant risk for psychopathology and that a more comprehensive approach to the evaluation and management of chronically ill patients is necessary.