Positive and negative impacts of caring among adolescents caring for grandparents : results from an online survey in six European countries and implications for future research, policy and practice

Santini, Sara (author), Socci, Marco (author), D’Amen, Barbara (author), Di Rosa, Mirko (author), Casu, Giulia (author), Hlebec, Valentina (author), Lewis, Feylyn (author), Leu, Agnes (author), Hoefman, Renske (author), Brolin, Rosita (author), Magnusson, Lennart (author), Hanson, Elizabeth (author)

Although up to 8% of European youngsters carry out high-intensity care for a family member, adolescent young carers (AYCs), especially those caring for their grandparents (GrPs), remain an under-researched group. This study aimed at addressing the current knowledge gap by carrying out an online survey in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The analysis included a final sample of 817 AYCs aged 15–17 years old. AYCs of grandparents (GrPs) were compared to AYCs of other care recipients (OCRs), in order to identify any difference in positive and negative caregiving outcomes and exposure factors between the two groups. Linear or logistic regression models were built, and multivariate analyses were repeated, including a fixed effect on the country variable. AYCs of GrPs experienced more positive caregiving outcomes than AYCs of OCRs across all six countries. Being female or non-binary, and having a migration background, were associated with more negative outcomes, regardless of the relationship with the care recipient. Further research on intergenerational caregiving outcomes is recommended for shaping measures and policies, which preserve the intergenerational emotional bonds, whilst protecting AYCs from inappropriate responsibilities, undermining their mental health and well-being.

• Language: English
• Keywords: adolescent young caregivers, grandparents, intergenerational relationships, older people, online survey, negative caregiving outcomes, positive caregiving outcomes
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 16 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 18, art. 6593
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-134246
• UDC: 316.4.051.63:364-783.44
• ISSN on article: 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17186593
• COBISS.SI-ID: 28208131
• Publication date in RUL: 03.01.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of environmental research and public health
• Shortened title: Int. j. environ. res. public health
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1660-4601
• COBISS.SI-ID: 1818965

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 10.09.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: najstniki, stari starši, neformalna oskrba, medgeneracijski odnosi, Evropa

Projects

• Funder: EC - European Commission
• Funding programme: H2020
• Project number: 754702
• Name: Psychosocial Support for Promoting Mental Health and Well-being among Adolescent Young Carers in Europe
• Acronym: ME-WE

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Funding programme: Italian Ministry of Health, Ricerca Corrente