2020 Vision: Hear Me, See Me, Support Me and don’t Forget Me.

The results of a Carers Trust Scotland survey into the impact of Coronavirus on young carers aged 12 to 17 and young adult carers aged 18 to 25 was published in July 2020. They point to a steep decline in the mental health and wellbeing of thousands of young people across Scotland who provide unpaid care at home for family members or friends.

Key points: With 214 responses from across Scotland, our survey provides a base of evidence. It shows how worries relating to Coronavirus and increased isolation caused by the lockdown have affected the mental health and wellbeing of Scotland's young people with caring responsibilities. Even before the outbreak of Coronavirus, young carers and young adult carers were all too often spending significant amounts of time caring for a relative in addition to the time they needed to spend on education, work and time for themselves. Coronavirus has significantly increased those pressures.

• 45% of young carers and 68% of young adult carers in Scotland say their mental health is worse since Coronavirus.
• 71% of young carers and 85% of young adult carers in Scotland are more worried about the future since Coronavirus.
• 69% of young carers and 76% of young adult carers in Scotland are feeling more stressed since Coronavirus.
• 74% of young carers and 73% of young adult carers in Scotland are feeling less connected to others since Coronavirus.
• 58% of young carers in Scotland are feeling that their education has suffered since Coronavirus.
• 11% of both young and young adult carers in Scotland report an increase of 30 hours or more in the amount of time they spend caring per week.
• 6% of young carers and 11% of young adult carers in Scotland are spending over 90 hours a week caring for a family member or friend.