Caregivers -- psychosocial factors -- in adolescence

No abstract is available for this article.

Young carers may be more damaged by what we do to try to protect them.

Caring for a chronically ill relative takes a physical and mental toll on young carers, suggests a study in Austria.

Aim To investigate the impact of caring for a parent on the psychosocial development of the young person. Methods A total of 20 young carers and 20 non-caregiving peers, aged 11-18 years, were compared on self-report measures of life satisfaction, self-esteem, and behavioural strengths and difficulties. Parental reports on their child's behaviour were obtained and measured. Results Young carers reported lower life satisfaction and self-esteem compared with non-caregiving peers, and their parents rated them as having more difficulties with peer relationships and more emotional symptoms.

Young carers are a global phenomenon. The UK estimates it has in excess of 175 000 young carers, the onset of their caring role often occurring between 8 and 10 years of age. Of these, 17 000 are caring for a parent who has severe mental illness, a significant factor for children entering the health and social care system, as up to 60% experience mental health difficulties themselves. This paper reports on the outcome of a participatory project aimed at better understanding the needs of young people.

There has been a great deal of attention paid to young carers in recent research, social policy and service provision. In this paper we report on a survey and interview study of 46 young people aged 15 to 18, nine of whom had experience as young carers, to explore the ways in which young people construct the young carer and their disabled parent. A key theme arising from the interview data analysis is the construction of a series of normative assumptions about 'normal' childhood through which young carers and their disabled parent are viewed as non-normative and deficient.

Objectives: While the consequences of caring for younger people with dementia have been a growing area of research, little is known about the children of these individuals. This study aimed to discover whether children of younger people with dementia can be compared to other young carers, the impact of their caring on mood, burden and resilience and what could promote coping. Method: In-depth interviews were carried out with 12 participants aged 11-18. A grounded theory methodology was used, supplemented with three quantitative measures.

The article discusses the results of a research report done by the group Carers Trust which shows that a quarter of young adult carers aged 14 to 25 still in school experience bullying and mental health problems. Topics covered in the report entitled "Young Adult Carers at School" include issues like school work struggles, support and time management. The report also urges the implementation of a clear framework of support for young carers among schools.

In 2009, the NHS National Centre for Involvement and Liverpool Primary Care Trust undertook a national pilot project to establish how best to undertake patient and public involvement in respect of end of life (EOL) services. This article describes the outcomes from its sub-project which focused on young carers. It is projected that there are substantial numbers of young carers in the UK, at any one point in time, supporting their (grand)parents, or other adult family members, during their terminal illness.