Les caractéristiques du soutien émotionnel apporté par les jeunes adultes aidants : une étude exploratoire qualitative

Abstract

ContextYoung adult carers are individuals between the ages of 18 and 25 who regularly provide support or assistance to a relative with an illness or disability, representing a specific and understudied population. Emotional support, frequently provided by these individuals, can be challenging due to the psychological and emotional investment it requires. Currently, emotional support is difficult to define and measure, as evidenced by the limited existing tools. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the characteristics of emotional support provided by young adult carers. MethodThirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adult caregivers, and a thematic analysis was performed. ResultsThe results show that emotional support manifests in multiple actions: suggesting activities, being present, offering emotional protection, assisting the relative in regulating their emotions, and being a privileged interlocutor for the relative. They also show that providing emotional support can have impacts on the well-being of these youth. ConclusionThese findings offer a better understanding of the emotional support provided by young adult caregivers and emphasize the need to consider them for clinical settings. For research purposes, these results could also contribute to improving evaluation tools for caregiving activities by incorporating aspects of emotional support more precisely and comprehensively.