Hidden Children: Perspectives of Professionals on Young Carers of People with Mental Health Problems

Abstract

Young carers of people with mental health problems are highly hidden, ostracised and vulnerable. To make matters worse, many professionals from the social, health and education sectors are not fully aware of the difficulties and central issues facing young carers of people with mental health problems. In order to make young carers of people with mental health problems more visible and to explore gaps in need and good practice from the perspectives of professionals, 65 participants were interviewed. The sample included professionals from the social, healthcare and voluntary sectors. Respondents were asked to discuss their understanding of young carers and appropriate interventions and methods to address young carers' needs. Findings highlight: young carers' isolation, stigma and restricted opportunities; fears involving family separation and child protection; and examples of good professional practice. New findings and examples of good professional practice that provide holistic, sensitive and effective support include: young carer groups and forums; young carer days; raising awareness of young carers in schools, especially via technology such as DVDs and the Internet; and having key workers to befriend young carers so as to advocate for better care, to provide emotional and psychological support and to facilitate young carer involvement.

Exploring Young Carers’ Agency

“…We felt that the setting of the camps proved most conducive to exploring young carer issues specifically because the participants were attending the camp as a form of respite and had the opportunity to connect with other young carers in the day/s before the focus groups. As noted by Gray and Robinson (2009), young carers' forums and groups allow young carers to 'experience the validation and support of other carers in similar situations' (p. 103). In addition, formal workshops about young carer issues were run each day at the camps, including topics such as bullying and self-care.…”