An empirical analysis of young carers in Japan: “care burden” versus “awareness” and the role of external support

Bing Niu (), Lingling Zhang () and Shigeki Kano ()
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Bing Niu: Osaka Metropolitan University
Lingling Zhang: University of Massachusetts Boston
Shigeki Kano: Osaka Metropolitan University

Economics Bulletin, 2022, vol. 42, issue 4, 2279 - 2297

Abstract: A high number of youths in Japan have responsibilities beyond their years, due to their role of caring for family members. This study uses cross-sectional data of young carers in Japan to empirically investigate the burden on them. We use different measures and examine its contributing factors. We examine the relationship between “care burden” and “awareness,” with specific focus on the external support received by the family members looked after by these young carers. We found that their care burden was a heavy one, albeit varying in magnitude. There was also a large gap between the actual care burden and young carers' awareness of being carers. Receiving external support was important, as it had a positive effect on improving awareness and mitigating their care burden. It is important to investigate and understand the actual burden on young carers and to provide support that meets their needs.

Keywords: Young carers; care burden; awareness; external support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D1 I1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022-12-30
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