Gaps in Understanding the Experiences of Young Carers of Mentally Ill Parents
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Young carers, or children and adolescents under the age of eighteen taking on caring responsibilities for a mentally ill parent, compose a vulnerable and often invisible population for mental health professionals, including nurses. These vulnerabilities include, but are not limited to: developmental issues, poor socialization and social isolation, as well as poor school performance. The purpose of this background review of the literature is to explore experiences of young carers for mentally ill parents and detect the gaps in the literature.
Methods: The research question guiding this background review is: What is the experience like for young carers of a mentally ill parent? And more specifically, what is the experience like for those who have witnessed or had to directly assist their mentally ill parent or parents while in a crisis situation?
Conclusions: Few studies on young caring have been done exclusively with children and adolescents to gain their perspective. The majority of research on young carers conducted to date has been done outside of the United States, mostly in The United Kingdom. These studies focus on young carers of parents who suffer mostly from physical vs. mental illness. Not one study discovered focused specifically on the experience of young carers who have witnessed or had to directly assist their mentally ill parent or parents while in a crisis situation. Information gained through this background review will add to the body of knowledge for child and adolescent mental health and make a case for additional research that is needed with this specific population.
