‘The Health, well-being and future opportunities of young carers: a population approach’

Author(s): O.M.E.F. Robison, G. Inglis, and J. Egan
Publisher: Public Health
Year Published: 2020
Resource type: Peer Reviewed Research Article

Summary:

The purpose of this article was to examine how many young carers are in Glasgow city schools and their differences from non-young carers. During the 2014/15 school year, 11,215 secondary school students completed a survey that asked about their physical, emotional, and mental health and postschool expectations. Overall, 12% identified as young carers, which was one in eight young people. Those who provided care reported worse outcomes than those who did not provide care. This meant that young carers had lower physical and mental health, and higherlevels of psychosocial problems. They also reported lower levels of expecting to attend higher education. These results suggest that we need more services to support young carers and develop whole-system approaches that can enhance their mental health but also their future adult lives.

Citation: Robison, O.M.E.F., Inglis, G., & Egan, J. (2020). The health, well-being and future opportunities of young carers: a population approach. Public Health 185, 139-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2020.05.002

Keywords: Young carers, Young adult carers, Adolescent, Informal caregiving, Inequalities

Where the data was collected: Scotland, Glasgow