Young caregivers: growing up while taking care of a family member

When we talk about family caregivers, in our collective imagination we almost always have the image of an adult: a spouse caring for a partner who is unwell, a daughter or son looking after an elderly parent, a family member assisting a relative with disabilities. The profound demographic and social changes over recent decades – such as the ageing population, increase in chronic disease, reduced family networks and inadequacy of care services – have progressively increased recourse to informal care, making it an often invisible pillar of welfare systems.

In many families today, the care burden falls on the so-called "generation sandwich", comprising adults who have children to support while at the same time taking care of elderly parents or other dependent family members. When this balance becomes difficult to sustain, the children may also gradually take on care duties, assuming responsibilities far beyond what is considered normal at their age.

However, when we talk of family care, we rarely think of children or teenagers, today defined as young carers, who assist the family with daily care tasks. Yet a study published in the International Journal of Care and Caring, conducted in six European countries (Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and UK), found that, out of 7,146 teenagers aged 15-17, 2,099 were involved in care duties, suggesting that almost three young people in ten provide some form of assistance for a parent, sibling, grandparent or other family member (Lewis et al., 2023).

Young caregivers: who are they?

To identify which tools can best support their wellbeing, we must first understand who these young caregivers are, what responsibilities they take on and what are the consequences of their care experience. For example, taking part in cultural activities can give space for expression, recognition and development of significant relationships, providing an important counterbalance to experiences that often lead to isolation and the assumption of responsibilities at a young age.

According to the report The situation of young carers in Europe, the term young carers refers to children and teenagers who regularly provide practical assistance, emotional support and other forms of care to a family member with health problems, disabilities, mental disorders or addictions. What differentiates this experience from normal forms of assistance in domestic life is the level of responsibility required, often comparable to that assumed by an adult carer (Goodger & Kennedy, 2024).

Different care duties performed by young caregivers

Yet behind this definition lies an extremely varied picture, since not all young caregivers perform the same tasks or devote the same amount of time to care. Some offer mainly emotional support to a parent experiencing psychological distress; others run the house or prepare meals; then there are the so-called sibling carers, who each day assist a brother or sister with a disability, chronic illness or other care needs, accompanying, supervising and supporting them. Still others assist directly with sanitary or personal care, sometimes helping the family member with more intimate daily tasks, such as washing and dressing.

This variety also reflects the lack of standardised data at EU level and the wide variation in estimates. While the findings reported by the European Parliament suggest that between 4% and 10% of young people in Europe perform significant care duties, some studies based on young people’s self-assessments give far higher percentages, indicating that more than one teenager in five is providing care.

Although the scale of the phenomenon is difficult to quantify precisely, the literature shows that in most countries studied, 60%-70% of the young caregivers identified are girls. This suggests that social and cultural expectations of care continue to influence the division of tasks within the family from a young age.

Why do young caregivers remain invisible?

The lack of social visibility is a further obstacle to accurately measuring this phenomenon. Many young people don't recognise themselves as caregivers and tend to treat care as a normal part of family life, while teachers, healthcare workers and social services often don't have the necessary mechanisms to promptly identify such scenarios. The result is that a significant proportion of young carers remain invisible.

An additional factor is that welfare systems still struggle to recognise the needs of these young people and to translate them into structured and ongoing action, with significant differences among the various nations.

The psychological and social impact of caregiving during childhood development

Adolescence is a crucial stage of development, during which the construction of identity, independence and relationships with peers play a central role. Taking on care duties can however profoundly alter this path, requiring young caregivers to reconcile their school work, social life and personal growth with complex care tasks.

To better understand the impact of this experience, a study conducted in German-speaking Switzerland on over 2,500 adolescents aged 15-21 compared three groups of young people: carers, boys and girls living with a family member affected by health problems but that didn't perform significant care tasks, and peers of the same age from families with no particular healthcare issues (Wepf & Leu, 2022). The results show that young caregivers present with significantly higher perceived stress levels in both groups, even when taking variables into account such as gender, economic situation and family stability. This suggests that the role of carer is a stress factor in addition to the presence of an unwell family member alone.

The burden of care on mental wellbeing

The study also highlights that lower levels of wellbeing do not depend exclusively on assuming the role of caregiver, but also on the context in which the care is performed. Growing up in a family affected by chronic illness, financial hardship or other forms of instability, and living every day in an environment marked by vulnerability and constant worry, is indeed a risk factor in itself for adolescents’ mental health. The authors however underline that poor wellbeing is not an inevitable consequence of the experience of care, but can be reduced significantly when the young caregivers are recognised, listened to and supported with appropriate measures.

Taking care of the carers

This evidence is also reflected in the latest initiatives promoted by the Carers Trust, one of the UK’s main organisations for providing support to carers and for protecting the rights of young caregivers. On Young Carer’s Action Day 2025, it highlighted the urgent need to strengthen policies and services able to provide support for the mental health of young carers (Carers Trust, 2025). The burden of the responsibilities of care often leaves little space for socialising, leisure time or recreational activities, essential elements for well-balanced development. Indeed, many young caregivers say they feel invisible and don't have time to develop friendships, hobbies or personal interests, while constantly balancing school, care and the needs of the family can fuel stress, anxiety, guilt and social isolation. That is why the Carers Trust highlights the need to ensure prompt access to psychological support, as well as real opportunities for relaxation, rest and participation in the life of the community, recognising that giving young carers the chance to “take a break” from care is an essential element in their wellbeing and personal development.

What protects young caregivers’ mental health?

Alongside psychological and social support, research in recent years has begun to investigate the factors that could enhance the capacity of young carers to adapt positively to complex circumstances without compromising their development. A qualitative study in the UK on young caregivers aged 5-18 showed how protective factors don't exclusively depend on individual characteristics, but develop from the interplay between personal resources, significant relationships and the opportunities a social background has to offer (Hawken et al., 2024).

The elements identified include: the space to express one's emotions through creative activities, support from family and friends, the presence of adults such as teachers and professionals, and participation in dedicated activities. The experiences promoted by the support centres – including art workshops, day trips in contact with nature and other group activities – are valuable opportunities to share similar experiences, to devote time to one's interests and, above all, to continue to fully live one’s childhood and adolescence.

The Impressions of Humanity project in Italy

In Italy, the project Impressions of Humanity, promoted by the Fondazione MSD in conjunction with RUFA – Rome University of Fine Arts – and Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, is an example of how scientific evidence can translate into concrete action for cultural welfare. Through the language of art, the project promotes tools for listening, recognition and participation, contributing both to raising awareness among the community and to giving voice to young caregivers. The initiative originated from the results of the first national study of young carers, conducted in 2025 by Eikon Strategic Consulting together with some of the leading associations in Italy for patients and caregivers. The study involved 115 young people aged 18-30 from 17 regions across Italy. It revealed an often intense and prolonged burden of care: 59% of participants had provided care for over a year, 40% devoted between one and three hours a day to care and 66% considered their role to be very demanding. The needs most widely cited included support with managing stress and emotions, and social and institutional recognition of the role of carer. 

When art and research become cultural welfare

With this evidence as a starting point, Impressions of Humanity transformed the emotions, experiences and narratives collected by the study into artistic works made by students at RUFA, some using AI, aimed at giving visibility to a world that is still little known and at raising greater public awareness of the value and complexity of the care experience. The value of the initiative was recognised at the 13th edition of the Premio Cultura + Impresa (Culture + Business Award), which in 2026 gave the project the “Wellbeing in Arts” Special Mention, rewarding its capacity to combine research, art, technological innovation and cultural welfare to tackle an issue of great social importance. 

A responsibility shared

Recognising young caregivers means above all giving visibility to a world that is still too often concealed and understanding that, behind an apparently ordinary everyday life, responsibilities can lie hidden that profoundly impact growth and development. Building communities able to recognise and support those who take care of others means sharing the burden of care, so that it doesn't fall to families alone and, above all, to the younger family members.

By Catterina Seia (Presidente CCW – Cultural Welfare Centre) e Elena Rosica ( Cultural Welfare Center (CCW), Research Area).

 Further reading: 

• Catterina Seia e Elena Rosica, Curare i curanti attraverso le arti, 27 marzo 2026

   

• Catterina Seia e Elena Rosica, Prescrizione sociale: strategie integrate per la salute mentale degli adolescenti, 31 luglio 2025

   

• Catterina Seia e Elena Rosica, L’epidemia della solitudine: una fragilità collettiva, 30 maggio 2025

   

• Catterina Seia, Giovani. L’espressione creativa come antidoto alla depressione, 30 gennaio 2024