Young Adult Carers during the Pandemic: The Effects of Parental Illness and Other Ill Family Members on COVID-19-Related and General Mental Health Outcomes.

Giulia Landi,Silvana Grandi,Kenneth I Pakenham,Eliana Tossani

doi:10.3390/ijerph19063391

Abstract

The mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adult carers have been neglected. This study aimed to identify COVID-19 related risk factors for young adult carers and to investigate their mental health relative to non-carer peers. Of the 1823 Italians aged 18–29 who completed an online survey, 1458 reported no ill family member (non-carers). Young adult carers included 268 with an ill parent, and 97 with an ill non-parent family member. Two mental health outcome categories were measured: COVID-19-related (risky health behaviors, loneliness, home violence, fear of COVID-19) and general (anxiety, depression, wellbeing). Six COVID-19 related risk factors were significantly correlated with poorer mental health in young adult carers. These factors constituted a COVID-19 Context Index. Compared to non-carers, young adult carers reported poorer mental health across all outcomes, as expected. The prediction that young adult carers caring for an ill parent would report poorer mental health than those caring for ill non-parent family members was evident only for the COVID-19-related mental health outcomes. The elevated rates of clinically significant distress and pandemic-related mental health problems among young adult carers highlight this group as a priority for mental health promotion interventions and whole-of-family support across multiple sectors.

Highlights

We developed an index of COVID-19 and lockdown risk factors using a procedure identical to that used in the development of a similar COVID-19 risk index [13], and similar to that used in the development of a psychosocial stress index [53]
The present study extends this body of research by showing that these differences are likely to be amplified in a pandemic because they extend to COVID-19 and lockdown related mental health outcomes
The nature of the COVID-19 mental health outcomes measured in this study and the fact that they are likely to be elevated in many young adult carers, raises grave concerns for the welfare of these vulnerable young people

Summary

Introduction

A substantial body of published international research provides evidence on the adverse psychosocial impacts on youth caring for a family member, a parent, who has a serious mental or physical health condition [1–4]. The young adult developmental phase ( referred to as emerging adulthood) involves critically important milestones such as increasing autonomy, identity formation, career development, and navigating intimate relationships [6]. Negotiating these milestones may be disrupted by the demands of caring for a family member.

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