At a glance
- Chronic illness can affect more than the person living with it. Almost seven in ten (69%) people supporting a loved one say witnessing their suffering has taken a toll on their own mental health, while 73% experience guilt about not being able to do more.
- The impact extends into everyday life. People supporting a loved one spend almost eight hours a week providing emotional and practical support, with many reporting an impact on their personal time, sleep, social lives and relationships.
- Many loved ones also become part of the search for better treatment. Of those whose loved one had tried two or more treatments, 70% said they still hadn’t found something that adequately managed their symptoms. More than half (51%) had researched or discovered a treatment option themselves.
- Medical cannabis is one option some people are exploring. Despite being available on prescription in the UK since 2018, 41% of people surveyed either didn’t know or weren’t sure that medical cannabis is a legal medication in the UK.
When someone lives with a chronic health condition, the people supporting them can experience emotional and practical challenges of their own. It can show up in lost sleep, cancelled plans and a constant worry that often goes unspoken.
New research commissioned by Curaleaf Clinic reveals the scale of that impact. Almost seven in ten (69%) people supporting a loved one with a chronic health condition say witnessing their suffering has taken a toll on their own mental health, yet more than a third (34%) never talk to their loved one about how the condition affects them.
When Support Becomes Part of Everyday Life
When someone is living with a chronic health condition, the impact can extend beyond the person experiencing the symptoms. Partners, parents, children, friends and other loved ones may also be affected as they provide practical and emotional support, whether or not they consider themselves a carer.
Healthcare naturally focuses on the needs of the patient. But when a condition continues to affect someone’s daily life, it can also have a significant impact on the people around them.
To understand that wider impact, Curaleaf Clinic commissioned research among 1,000 UK adults with a loved one living with a chronic health condition, asking how their loved one’s condition affects their own lives and the role they play in supporting them.
What our Research Found
The Emotional Impact of supporting someone with a Chronic Illness
- Almost seven in ten (69%) people surveyed say witnessing their loved one’s suffering has taken a toll on their own mental health.
- Nearly three-quarters (73%) experience a persistent sense of guilt about not being able to do more, while four in ten (40%) report anxiety and 16% feelings of isolation.
- Many also expressed a strong desire to protect their loved one from what they are going through.
- Given the choice, six in ten respondents said they would take on their loved one’s illness themselves if it meant sparing them from it.
How Support Affects Everyday Life
Chronic illness in the family doesn’t stay contained to appointments and treatment. Carers told us it affects:
- Personal time (46%)
- Sleep (41%)
- Social life (37%)
- Relationships, with 19% saying the pressure of providing daily support has put a strain on them
Why the Impact Often Goes Unspoken
Despite the scale of the impact, over a third (34%) of people surveyed say they never talk to their loved one about how the condition affects them. For some, this may reflect a reluctance to add to their loved one’s worries or make them feel guilty about the impact their condition has on others.
The Time and Practical Support Loved Ones Provide
Emotional support is the single biggest thing carers say they provide (64%), alongside shopping (57%), household chores (53%) and driving to appointments (50%). On average, this comes to almost eight hours a week. For carers aged 55–64, that rises to eleven and a half hours, and almost one in five carers (19%) spend 24 hours or more a week supporting a loved one.
The Search for a Treatment That Works
Alongside providing emotional and practical support, many respondents are also involved in helping the person they support explore treatment options.
Two thirds (64%) say their loved one has tried two or more treatments, and of those, seven in ten (70%) say they still haven’t found something that adequately manages their symptoms.
For some, researching treatment options is a regular part of the support they provide. Around one in six (16%) look for new treatment options at least once a week, while a further 26% do so a few times a month.
More than half (51%) say they have researched or discovered a treatment option through their own efforts, while 23% say a treatment they researched or discovered has since made a real difference to their loved one’s quality of life.
For many, helping someone they care about find the right treatment is simply another part of supporting them.
Where Medical Cannabis Fits into the Conversation
When the treatments someone has tried aren’t giving them enough relief, or just aren’t suitable, it’s understandable that they and the people around them would look at what else is available.
Medical cannabis is one option they may come across. It has been available on prescription in the UK since 2018, yet four in ten (41%) people surveyed either don’t know, or aren’t sure, whether it is a legal medication in the UK.
Dr Simon Erridge, Director of Research at Curaleaf Clinic, said:
“Chronic illness rarely stays within the boundaries of a single diagnosis. The people around a patient, partners, parents, friends, often carry a significant emotional and practical burden that isn’t widely recognised. This research begins to put a number on something we hear about regularly in the clinic.
“That burden often pushes families to keep searching long after conventional treatments have been exhausted. Medical cannabis isn’t right for everyone, few medicines are, but for patients who have tried multiple options without adequate relief it can be a legitimate route worth exploring. Without more education many healthcare professionals also aren’t aware that medical cannabis is an option. So, it’s often loved ones who end up helping a patient find their way to a specialist clinic.”
What Treatment Can Mean for Patients and Their Families
Statistics only tell part of the story. Curaleaf Clinic patients Sancharie and Christopher, and their families, shared how medical cannabis has affected them. Sancharie Booth, a Curaleaf Clinic patient, said:
“The nightly and morning spasms used to leave me with very little sleep and struggling to breathe, meaning I was in huge amounts of pain every night and morning. On top of that, I’d get incredibly intense and overwhelming womb pains several times a month. Medical cannabis has given me a great deal of relief from all of this, with far less pain during the day, much better sleep quality, and more energy.”
Her husband, Mat, described what that change has meant for him:
“For years I’ve watched Sancharie live in pain and never really rest. You feel so helpless seeing someone you love go through that, as there’s not much you can do to fix it. But it’s a real relief to see some of her key symptoms subside and see her able to relax more.”
Christopher Monteiro-Sharratt, another Curaleaf Clinic patient, said:
“PTSD made me feel disconnected from my own family. Medical cannabis gave me the calm to finally be present as a husband and father.”
His wife, Lameez, added:
“For a long time, I never knew what each day would bring, and that anxiety and uncertainty was exhausting. I was scared for him, and I didn’t always know how to help. Watching him become calmer and more present again hasn’t just changed his life, it’s given all of us our family back.”
Supporting the Supporters
The people around someone with a chronic condition may not think of themselves as carers, but the support they provide can be significant.
Talking more openly about that impact is a good place to start. Recognising what family and friends take on doesn’t take away from the patient’s experience – it gives us a fuller picture of the impact chronic illness can have.
Carer Self-Care: 3 Practical Ways to Look After Yourself
- Build in personal time. Set aside protected time each week for yourself, even 30 minutes can help. When you’re caring for someone, spare time doesn’t always come easily. Try to set some aside for yourself.
- Tell someone how it’s affecting you. Over a third of carers never discuss the impact of caring with the person they care for. Talking honestly to a friend, partner, GP or someone you trust is a good place to start.
- Contact a carers’ organisation. Carers UK, Carers Trust and local carers’ services can offer practical advice and support, including information about benefits, respite and other help available to you.
Research conducted on behalf of Curaleaf Clinic by OnePoll among a sample of 1,000 UK adults with a loved one who has a chronic health condition, between 27 and 30 July 2026.
