Carers Trust has conducted a survey of young carers (aged 12 to 17) and young adult carers (aged 18 to 25) in the UK to find out how they have been impacted by Coronavirus.
The findings are important and represent the only base of evidence on how young carers and young adult carers in the UK have been impacted by Coronavirus.
The results are extremely concerning. They show significant increases in the amount of time young people are spending on caring for family members or friends. And the survey also shows increases in stress, and a steep decline in mental health among young carers and young adult carers.
Here are some headline findings:
- 40% of young carers and 59% of young adult carers say their mental health is worse since coronavirus
- 67% of young carers and 78% of young adult carers are more worried about the future since coronavirus
- 66% of young carers and 74% of young adult carers are feeling more stressed since coronavirus
- 69% of both young carers and young adult carers are feeling less connected to others since coronavirus
- 11% of young carers and 19.7% of young adult carers report an increase of 30 hours or more in the amount of time they spend caring per week
You can find out more about the survey and its findings by visiting the Carers Trust website.
Carer Support Wiltshire are supporting young and young adult carers during the Coronavirus crisis by running virtual cafes where carers can meet up to get support, and also enjoy some time off with a quiz and other games.
We have also run resilience mental health workshops online, are offering free professional counselling, have increased support work over the phone and are doing welfare checks on a weekly basis.
If you are a young carer or young adult carer in Wiltshire who needs support or advice, call our helpline number 0800 181 4118.
