Young carers and young adult carers in Switzerland: Caring roles, ways into care and the meaning of communication

Although there is already general recognition of the fact that many relatives provide unpaid care for family members, there is still little awareness that children, adolescents and young adults under 25 also provide such care. Until recently, the situation of young carers and young adult carers, as those young persons are referred to in international research, has not been in the focus of professionals, research and the public in Switzerland. Between September 2015 and October 2016, 30 interviews in seven cantons were conducted with 16 young carers aged 10–17 and 14 young adult carers aged 18–25. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed following a grounded theory approach. This paper now presents the first qualitative data on Swiss young carers and young adult carers. It explores their sociodemographic backgrounds, the nature and intensity of caring tasks they carry out, their pathways into caring as well as the role of communication with family members, extended family, professionals and peers. Our findings provide a first insight in the lives of young carers and young adult carers in Switzerland and illustrate, as well, the challenges they face.