Mental Health Outcomes Among Migrant Caregivers: A Systematic Review of Prevalence, Associated Factors, and Supportive Interventions
Wei Hsuan Huang, Cheng Kuan Lin, Seo Ah Hong, Alexander WaitsBackground:
Migrant caregivers play an essential role in addressing global shortages in long-term and domestic care. However, demanding working conditions, social isolation, and migration-related stressors may adversely affect their mental health, while evidence on prevalence, determinants, and effective interventions remains fragmented. This systematic review aimed to synthesize global evidence on the prevalence of mental health outcomes among migrant caregivers, identify associated risk factors, and summarize supportive interventions targeting their mental health.
Methods:
Eight databases were searched for studies published between January 2015 and October 2025. Eligible studies quantitatively assessed mental health outcomes among migrant caregivers or evaluated supportive mental health interventions using validated measurement tools. Due to substantial heterogeneity in study design, populations, and outcome measures, results were synthesized qualitatively.
Results:
A total of 48 studies were included (42 cross-sectional, 6 interventions). Prevalence of depression, anxiety, psychological distress, sleep problems, and caregiver burden varied widely across settings and measurement tools. Mental health outcomes were consistently associated with sociodemographic, occupational, environmental, physical health, psychosocial, migration-related, and COVID-19–related factors. Evidence on interventions was limited to six small trials, showing modest and inconsistent effects, with more consistent improvements in coping and mental health literacy than in depressive symptoms, varying by design and caregiver characteristics.
Conclusions:
Migrant caregivers experience a substantial mental health burden associated with employment conditions, workplace social environments, and migration-related factors. Addressing their mental health requires both improved research designs and policy responses that extend beyond individual-level interventions to structural and social conditions.