The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies
Abstract Background Young carers are children or young people aged up to 25 years old who undertake unpaid caring responsibilities for a friend or family member. Young carers faced significant challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the impact of the pandemic and associated restr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00697-6 |
| _version_ | 1797363709133193216 |
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| author | D Hayes D Fancourt A Burton |
| author_facet | D Hayes D Fancourt A Burton |
| author_sort | D Hayes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Young carers are children or young people aged up to 25 years old who undertake unpaid caring responsibilities for a friend or family member. Young carers faced significant challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on mental health, wellbeing and access to support in young carers in the United Kingdom (UK) to understand how to improve services, as well as support this population in future health emergencies. Method We conducted 22 qualitative semi-structured interviews from May to November 2021 with 14 young carers and eight staff working in organisations that supported them. Interviews took place remotely over video or telephone call and explored participant experiences of the pandemic and its impact on their health, wellbeing and caring responsibilities. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse interview transcripts. Results We identified four overarching themes pertaining to the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on mental health, wellbeing and access to support in young carers in the UK: (1) challenges in protecting loved ones from the virus, (2) changes to and loss of routine, (3) reduced access to pre-pandemic informal and formal support structures and (4) better understanding of inner resilience and goals. Many participants struggled with their mental health and wellbeing as a result of pandemic related restrictions which impacted on support structures for themselves and the individual they cared for. However, positive impacts pertained to additional support provided by local authority and third sector organisations. Conclusions Our findings highlight some of the changes that affected young carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of changes to routine and a reduction in pre-pandemic support were the greatest concerns reported by participants in this study. The additional support provided by local authority and third sector organisations during social restrictions suggests such organisations could play a greater role in supporting this population going forward and that schools and Governments may wish to put in additional strategies and provisions to protect young carers in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:23:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fe9a0536d8e04d498479eda5948bcebb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1753-2000 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T16:23:54Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-fe9a0536d8e04d498479eda5948bcebb2024-01-07T12:11:31ZengBMCChild and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health1753-20002024-01-0118111410.1186/s13034-023-00697-6The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergenciesD Hayes0D Fancourt1A Burton2The Social Biobehavioural Research Group, Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London (UCL)The Social Biobehavioural Research Group, Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London (UCL)The Social Biobehavioural Research Group, Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, University College London (UCL)Abstract Background Young carers are children or young people aged up to 25 years old who undertake unpaid caring responsibilities for a friend or family member. Young carers faced significant challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on mental health, wellbeing and access to support in young carers in the United Kingdom (UK) to understand how to improve services, as well as support this population in future health emergencies. Method We conducted 22 qualitative semi-structured interviews from May to November 2021 with 14 young carers and eight staff working in organisations that supported them. Interviews took place remotely over video or telephone call and explored participant experiences of the pandemic and its impact on their health, wellbeing and caring responsibilities. We used reflexive thematic analysis to analyse interview transcripts. Results We identified four overarching themes pertaining to the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on mental health, wellbeing and access to support in young carers in the UK: (1) challenges in protecting loved ones from the virus, (2) changes to and loss of routine, (3) reduced access to pre-pandemic informal and formal support structures and (4) better understanding of inner resilience and goals. Many participants struggled with their mental health and wellbeing as a result of pandemic related restrictions which impacted on support structures for themselves and the individual they cared for. However, positive impacts pertained to additional support provided by local authority and third sector organisations. Conclusions Our findings highlight some of the changes that affected young carers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of changes to routine and a reduction in pre-pandemic support were the greatest concerns reported by participants in this study. The additional support provided by local authority and third sector organisations during social restrictions suggests such organisations could play a greater role in supporting this population going forward and that schools and Governments may wish to put in additional strategies and provisions to protect young carers in the future.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00697-6Mental healthWellbeingCOVID-19QualitativeYoung carersHealth emergencies |
| spellingShingle | D Hayes D Fancourt A Burton The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health Mental health Wellbeing COVID-19 Qualitative Young carers Health emergencies |
| title | The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| title_full | The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| title_fullStr | The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| title_full_unstemmed | The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| title_short | The experiences and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young carers: practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| title_sort | experiences and impact of the covid 19 pandemic on young carers practice implications and planning for future health emergencies |
| topic | Mental health Wellbeing COVID-19 Qualitative Young carers Health emergencies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-023-00697-6 |
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