Ahead of national Carer’s Week (9-15 June) researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have launched a report that highlights how one in five 16 year olds in Northern Ireland provide some sort of informal care for sick, elderly or disabled relatives or friends.

The research was conducted by ARK, the Northern Ireland Social and Political Archive at Queen’s, as part of the 2007 Young Life and Times Survey. 

Paula Devine from the School of Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work at Queen’s said: “While there has been a lot of research into the caring responsibilities of adults in Northern Ireland, little is known about the role of young people in looking after those who need care. This survey aimed to fill some of the gaps in our knowledge and explore the extent, nature and effect of caring among teenagers.

“20 per cent of the young people surveyed said they have caring duties. These young people have to deal with the extra responsibility that this brings to their lives, so it is important that we understand exactly what they have to deal with and how this impacts on them.

“Whilst 14 per cent of young carers care for someone outside their own home, almost one in ten (9 per cent) look after someone at home. Of these, over two in five care for a parent, while others help support siblings or grandparents. Of those who care for someone outside their own home, most help care for a grandmother or grandfather.”

Dr Katrina Lloyd from Queen’s said: “The study found that young carers are more likely to be female than male - 22 per cent of 16 year old girls said that they had caring responsibilities, compared to 17 per cent of boys. They are also more likely to live in rural areas or be from lower income families.

“The research also found that caring responsibilities make no significant difference to a young person’s plans to remain in full time education, although there are indications that caring for someone who lives with them may have a detrimental effect on their mental health. 

“This study has helped fill many of the gaps in our knowledge of young carers. But it is just a starting point. It has highlighted a number of areas that we need to find out more about, including the effect of caring responsibilities on young people’s physical and mental health, education and social lives. Young carers often have a lot to deal with compared to their peers, so it is important that we understand the extent of their caring responsibilities and the impact this has on their lives.”

The research report on Young Carers can be found at http://www.ark.ac.uk/publications/updates

For media enquiries please contact: Anne-Marie Watson, Press & PR Unit, +44 (0)28 9097 5320, a.watson@qub.ac.uk , 07814 415 451.