Young adult carers' identification, characteristics, and support: A systematic review

Moments of Care: Perceptions of Young Carers and Day-to-Day Well-Being

Background/Objectives: Over 5 million youth under the age of 19 provide daily, hands-on care to an ill or injured family member across the United States. Yet how these young carers perceive the care they deliver in the moment, and how these perceptions relate to well-being, is unexplored, particularly in complex neurological conditions. This paper presents initial data on young carers for a family member with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) was used to measure perceptions of care in the moments of care and the cognitive and emotional states of the young carers during those moments. Young carers (n = 15) aged 10-19 were followed for seven days, completing assessments three times per day, which provided 260 total measurements. Young carers reported frequently engaging in caregiving (~39% of assessments). Results: The results indicated that it was not simply performing a caregiving task that related to outcomes, but rather how caregiving moments were perceived that mattered. Caregiving moments perceived as more fulfilling resulted in young carers feeling less discontent and more focused, whereas caregiving moments perceived as lacking resources predicted more discontent and distress. Exploratory analyses highlighted the potential for burden for young carers. They reported high levels of worry when they were not around the care recipient, with this worry predicting feeling more discontent and distressed. Conclusions: Young carers are deeply involved in care and perceive care differently across moments, both positive and negative. These initial data can be used to develop targeting support programs in the moment of care, potentially lessening the negative impacts of care.

Young Adult Caregivers for Older Family Members: Setting a New Research Agenda

Young adults (approximately aged 18 to 29) are frequently involved in caring for older relatives, potentially filling gaps and playing key roles in the network of caregivers. The time is ripe to synthesize the emerging literature on this topic and propose an agenda for future research. This article identifies key questions for research that will propel the field forward, including: (a) why young adult caregiving warrants distinct consideration from caregiving in midlife or later life, (b) young adult caregivers' position in the caregiving network and tasks they perform, and (c) factors that help determine who becomes a caregiver at this stage of life and who does not, with attention to race/ethnicity, and beliefs about family interdependency. We then address appraisals of caregiving stress, rewards, and potential factors that may buffer the negative impact of caregiving at this stage of life. We extend this discussion to the detriments and benefits of caregiving for well-being. We consider longer-term enduring positive and negative consequences of caregiving at this potentially transformative stage of adulthood. Throughout this article, we review many of the founding studies and scholars who have laid the groundwork in this emerging field and point out the components of existing models of caregiving that particularly apply to young adult caregivers. We conclude with suggestions for potential policies and programs to allow for young adults to engage in caregiving while also pursuing the roles and activities that align with their values and set them up for a successful adulthood.

Navigating Both Roles: A Photovoice Exploration of the Young Adult Balancing Daughterhood and Caregiving for a Mother With Young-Onset Dementia

Young adults thrust into the role of caregiving for parents with young-onset dementia (YOD) face unique challenges during their formative years. While existing research acknowledges the crucial role of young adult caregivers, a gap persists in understanding how this group experiences and redefines their identity amidst these circumstances, along with the psychological and societal challenges encountered. This knowledge deficit hinders the identification of suitable social support, adversely affecting the personal growth and well-being of these young adult caregivers. In this single-case study, we used a combination of a semi-structured interview and photovoice to explore the journey of a 19-year-old caregiver, Alice, whose mother had been diagnosed with dementia in the preceding 3 years. Through this unique perspective, we aimed to illuminate how caregiving for a mother with YOD may profoundly redefine familial roles and relationships. Over 3 months, Alice captured significant life moments through photography, selecting meaningful images for bi-weekly meetings. These images served as pivotal themes, triggering in-depth conversations during subsequent interviews to provide nuanced insights into her life experiences. Findings reveal four major themes faced by a young caregiver: (1) challenges adapting to an unexpected role, (2) navigating the complex emotional terrain of losing a loved one to YOD, (3) prioritizing the well-being of the healthy parent, and (4) expressing a profound desire for both informal and formal support. These results underscore the intricate identity and emotional challenges faced by young adult caregivers, emphasizing the urgency of addressing their unique needs through family-centered systemic support services.

Perceived life balance among young adult students: a comparison between caregivers and non-caregivers

BACKGROUND

Young adult caregivers (YACs) are individuals aged 18-25 years who provide care to a loved one (parent, sibling) with frailty, disability, or illness. As young adults, the transition period between adolescence and adulthood can be more challenging for YACs than their peers without care responsibilities (non-YACs), as they have to integrate caregiving with other life areas (education, relationships). This study compared the perceived life balance and the psychological functioning (i.e., burnout, negative and positive affect, and life satisfaction) between YACs and non-YACs.

METHOD

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 74 YACs (85.1% females, 22.0 ± 2.1 years) and 246 non-YACs (76.0% females, 21.8 ± 2.0 years) studying in the Netherlands. The survey assessed demographic characteristics, caregiving characteristics (to be filled out only by the YACs), life balance, and psychological functioning. We used Chi-square tests for categorical variables and independent T-tests for continuous variables to examine possible differences in demographic characteristics between YACs and non-YACs. In addition, we used independent T-tests to compare the perceived life balance and psychological functioning between YACs and non-YACs.

RESULTS

YACs and non-YACs were similar on all the demographic characteristics, except for living status; fewer YACs (44.6%) than non-YACs (59.3%) lived on their own, with or without other students/friends (χ2 = 16.3, p = 0.01). YACs perceived slightly less balance in life than non-YACs (d = -.29, p = .03). Both groups did not differ in experiencing burnout, affect, and life satisfaction (all p > .05). They experienced high levels of burnout and moderate levels of life satisfaction.

DISCUSSION

Although YACs perceived a little less balance in life than non-YACs, this was not reflected in their psychological functioning. Healthcare professionals and school counselors may need to recognise the critical phase of all young adults and provide the support that could, for example, help them reduce burnout and enhance their quality of life.

Does It Matter Who You Provide Care for? Mental Health and Life Satisfaction in Young Adult Carers Associated with Type of Relationship and Illness Category-A National Student Survey

There is limited knowledge on how caring contexts impact young adults providing informal care for persons with chronic conditions. This study examines associations between outcomes in young adult carers (YACs) and type of relationship (e.g., close or distant family member, partner, or someone outside the family) and type of illness in the care-receiver (e.g., mental, physical illness/disability, or substance abuse). A total of 37,731 students (age 18-25, mean 22.3 years, 68% females) in higher education in Norway completed a national survey on care responsibilities, hours of daily caring, relationship and type of illness, mental health problems (Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25) and life satisfaction (Satisfaction With Life Scale). More mental health problems and lower life satisfaction were found among YACs compared to students without care responsibilities. The poorest outcomes were reported by YACs caring for a partner, followed by YACs caring for a close relative. Hours spent on daily caring was highest when caring for a partner. Poorer outcomes were reported by YACs caring for someone affected by substance abuse, followed by mental health problems and physical illness/disability. At-risk groups among YACs should be acknowledged and offered support. Future studies are needed to investigate the potential mechanism for the associations between care context variables and YAC outcomes.

Caregiving Responsibilities and Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adult Carers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

This study investigated caregiving responsibilities and associated mental health outcomes in young adult carers during the COVID-19 pandemic and had three aims: (1) to investigate differences in caregiving responsibilities across two groups of young adult carers (parental illness context vs. ill non-parent family member context) relative to non-carers, (2) to identify COVID-19/lockdown correlates of caregiving responsibilities, and (3) to examine the longitudinal associations between caregiving responsibilities and mental health outcomes. Of the 1048 Italians aged 18-29 (Mage = 24.48, SDage = 2.80; 74.33% female) who consented to complete online surveys at Time 1, 813 reported no ill family member (non-carers). Young adult carers included 162 with an ill parent and 73 with an ill non-parent family member. The study included 3 time points: 740 participants completed Time 2 assessment (Mage = 24.35, SDage = 2.81; 76.76% female), while 279 completed Time 3 assessment (Mage = 24.78, SDage = 2.72; 79.93% female). Key variables measured were 13 COVID-19/lockdown factors at Times 1 and 2, caregiving responsibilities at Time 2, and mental health outcomes at Time 3 (fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression, wellbeing). Two COVID-19/lockdown factors were significantly correlated with higher caregiving responsibilities: insufficient home space, and greater time spent working and learning from home. As predicted, young adult carers reported higher caregiving responsibilities than non-carers, and this effect was greater in young adults caring for an ill parent compared to young adults caring for an ill non-parent family member. As expected, irrespective of family health status, caregiving responsibilities were longitudinally related to poorer mental health outcomes, operationalised as higher fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression, and lower wellbeing. Elevated young adult caregiving is an emerging significant public health issue that should be addressed through a multipronged approach that includes education about young adult carer needs for personnel across all relevant sectors and flexible care plans for ill family members that include a 'whole family' biopsychosocial approach.