Young carers suffer heavy mental health burden during pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has worsened mental health outcomes among adolescents who care for family members or friends, reports a recent UK study. Psychosocial risk factors before and during the pandemic may explain such burden.

Researchers conducted a longitudinal assessment of 3,927 adolescents who had answered mental health-related questions during the Millennium Cohort Study sweep 7 survey in 2018/2019 when they were 17 years of age. All participants had also accomplished at least one COVID-19 survey from May 2020 to February–March 2021.

Those who regularly looked after anyone at age 17 years without being paid were designated as adolescent carers. Outcomes included psychological symptoms as measured by the Kessler Distress Scale (K6), and mental wellbeing, evaluated using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale.

A total of 311 adolescents carers (7.9 percent), who were significantly younger than their noncarer counterparts, had poorer sleep quality and experienced more severe mental difficulties. Carers also engaged in gambling, smoked more frequently, and had more episodes of self-harm and suicide attempts.

Multivariable linear regression models showed that worse K6 scores were correlated with poor sleep quality, self-harm and suicide attempts at baseline, alcohol drinking and smoking, loneliness, and low social support and financial management. A similar set of psychosocial factors was also associated with worse mental well-being among carers.

“Our results highlight the need for psychosocial support for young carers. As the UK has been removing COVID-19 related restrictions since Spring 2021, careful consideration is warranted to support adolescent carers to return to school and catch up with studies and other students,” the researchers said.