# Caregiver SOS:  An Intervention for Employed Caregivers

> **NIH VA I01** · PHILADELPHIA VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2022 · —

## Abstract

Background: Research has shown that unpaid, informal caregivers (CGs), such as family and friends, who
are also employed may be at significant risk of experiencing burden and stress. A recent national survey found
that approximately 60% of employed CGs had significant problems balancing work and caregiving. Stress not
only increases the CG’s risk of illness and diminishes their quality of life; it also impacts the CG’s ability to
provide care for the care recipient (CR) and overall relationship quality. Moreover, while work frequently adds
to the CG’s stress, relinquishing work can create new stress for both the CG and CR, particularly when it
involves losses in resources such as income, benefits, social contacts and/or respite from caregiving duties.
Significance/Impact: Approximately 5.5 million Veterans rely on CGs to help them with their daily care. CGs
often cope with stress and strain from CG/work roles. This may be particularly true of CGs of Veterans coping
with behavioral health issues related to conditions such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
anxiety, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Programs that specifically address caregiving-work role stress may
be especially effective in improving CGs’ wellbeing and work/financial stability and the quality of Veterans’
care. Given this project’s focus, it is responsive to multiple ORD and HSR&D priority areas, including long-
term care/aging, access to care, mental health/PTSD, and health equity, expanded Veteran/CG access to high
quality clinical trials, and legislative priorities such as the MISSION Act, which emphasizes research on new
models that support and benefit both Veterans and CGs and maximize the ability of Veterans to age in place.
Innovation: The evidence for CG stress interventions is limited mainly to studies of psychoeducational and
support programs, many of which are targeted to specific groups of CGs (e.g., CGs of individuals with
dementia). Few studies address CGs in the context of their work and CG roles, and even fewer focus on CGs
of Veterans with behavioral health conditions, who often provide care to CRs with complex symptom profiles.
To our knowledge, no program specifically targets work functioning and productivity among employed CGs.
Specific Aims: The aims of this study are to, 1) determine the extent to which, relative to usual care, a novel
intervention providing evidence-based, telephonic CG/work stress self-management counseling is related to
changes in CG psychological distress and ability to function effectively in work and CG roles, and 2) evaluate
whether participation in the intervention is related to CGs’ overall wellbeing and CRs’ health care utilization.
Methodology: We will conduct a randomized controlled trial and compare pre/post changes among 300 CGs
allocated to the Caregiver SOS (for Self-Management of Stress) program or usual care. CGs who, 1) care for
Veterans diagnosed with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and/or TBI and, 2) screen p...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10102136
- **Project number:** 5I01HX002824-02
- **Recipient organization:** PHILADELPHIA VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Amy W Helstrom
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2024-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10102136

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10102136, Caregiver SOS:  An Intervention for Employed Caregivers (5I01HX002824-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10102136. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*