Youth -- psychology

A major developmental task in adolescence is identity exploration. Some young carers, due to the level of care being provided, may not have an opportunity to explore who they are outside of being a caregiver. This qualitative study explored the lives of 14 young carers (4 males, 10 females) to reveal impacts within their lives and on their identity development. Results revealed that psychological, family, and social impacts interacted and influenced the degree to which the young carer adopted a caregiver identity. 

The 2011 census suggested that 244,000 young people in England and Wales under 19 provide unpaid care for someone with an illness or disability (Office for National Statistics, 2013). Young carers are not a homogeneous population; they represent children and young people from a variety of backgrounds with diverse experiences. Young carers are described as a 'hidden population' (H.M Government, 2010) hence the prevalence of young carers may be larger than data sources reveal.

The term ‘young carer’ refers to those youth under the age of 25 years who provide substantial unpaid support to a family member due to factors including, but not limited to, familial or parental absence, disability, mental health issue(s) or problems with alcohol and/or other drugs. In the UK, national statistics have been integral to tracking the prevalence of young carers while serving as an important tool towards the development of (and justification for) a national legislative framework supporting these youth.