Caregiving Responsibilities and Mental Health Outcomes in Young Adult Carers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

Giulia Landi (), Kenneth I. Pakenham, Roberto Cattivelli, Silvana Grandi and Eliana Tossani ()
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Giulia Landi: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Kenneth I. Pakenham: School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
Roberto Cattivelli: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Silvana Grandi: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Eliana Tossani: Department of Psychology “Renzo Canestrari”, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 22, 1-17

Abstract: This study investigated caregiving responsibilities and associated mental health outcomes in young adult carers during the COVID-19 pandemic and had three aims: (1) to investigate differences in caregiving responsibilities across two groups of young adult carers (parental illness context vs. ill non-parent family member context) relative to non-carers, (2) to identify COVID-19/lockdown correlates of caregiving responsibilities, and (3) to examine the longitudinal associations between caregiving responsibilities and mental health outcomes. Of the 1048 Italians aged 18–29 ( M age = 24.48, SD age = 2.80; 74.33% female) who consented to complete online surveys at Time 1, 813 reported no ill family member (non-carers). Young adult carers included 162 with an ill parent and 73 with an ill non-parent family member. The study included 3 time points: 740 participants completed Time 2 assessment ( M age = 24.35, SD age = 2.81; 76.76% female), while 279 completed Time 3 assessment ( M age = 24.78, SD age = 2.72; 79.93% female). Key variables measured were 13 COVID-19/lockdown factors at Times 1 and 2, caregiving responsibilities at Time 2, and mental health outcomes at Time 3 (fear of COVID-19, anxiety, depression, wellbeing). Two COVID-19/lockdown factors were significantly correlated with higher caregiving responsibilities: insufficient home space, and greater time spent working and learning from home. As predicted, young adult carers reported higher caregiving responsibilities than non-carers, and this effect was greater in young adults caring for an ill parent compared to young adults caring for an ill non-parent family member. As expected, irrespective of family health status, caregiving responsibilities were longitudinally related to poorer mental health outcomes, operationalised as higher fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression, and lower wellbeing. Elevated young adult caregiving is an emerging significant public health issue that should be addressed through a multipronged approach that includes education about young adult carer needs for personnel across all relevant sectors and flexible care plans for ill family members that include a ’whole family’ biopsychosocial approach.

Keywords: young adult carers; emerging adulthood; parental illness; pandemic; caregiving responsibilities; mental health; wellbeing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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