Visibility as a Key Dimension to Better Health-Related Quality of Life and Mental Health: Results of the European Union Funded “ME-WE” Online Survey Study on Adolescent Young Carers in Switzerland

Elena Guggiari (), Marianne Fatton, Saul Becker, Feylyn Lewis, Giulia Casu, Renske Hoefman, Elizabeth Hanson, Sara Santini, Licia Boccaletti, Henk Herman Nap, Valentina Hlebec, Alexandra Wirth and Agnes Leu
Additional contact information
Elena Guggiari: Careum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
Marianne Fatton: Medical Faculty, Institute for Biomedical Ethics, University of Basel, Bernoullistrasse 28, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Saul Becker: Faculty of Health and Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BX, UK
Feylyn Lewis: School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University, Godchaux Hall 179, 461 21st Ave S, Nashville, TN 37240, USA
Giulia Casu: Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Viale Berti Pichat 5, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Renske Hoefman: The Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), Postbus 16164, 2500 BD The Hague, The Netherlands
Elizabeth Hanson: Department of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, 39182 Kalmar, Sweden
Sara Santini: Centre for Socio-Economic Research on Aging, IRCCS INRCA-National Institute of Health and Science on Aging, Via Santa Margherita 5, 60124 Ancona, Italy
Licia Boccaletti: Anziani e Non Solo Società Cooperativa Sociale, 41012 Carpi, Italy
Henk Herman Nap: Vilans-The National Centre of Expertise for Long-Term Care in The Netherlands, Churchilllaan 11, 3527 GV Utrecht, The Netherlands
Valentina Hlebec: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Kardeljeva pl. 5, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Alexandra Wirth: Careum, Pestalozzistrasse 3, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland
Agnes Leu: Careum School of Health, Kalaidos University of Applied Sciences, Gloriastrasse 18a, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-17

Abstract: This paper examines the health-related quality of life (HRQL) and mental health of adolescent young carers (AYCs) aged 15–17 in Switzerland, based on data collected within the Horizon 2020 project ‘Psychosocial support for promoting mental health and well-being among AYCs in Europe’ (ME-WE). It addresses the following questions: (1) Which characteristics of AYCs are associated with lower HRQL and with higher level of mental health problems? (2) Do AYCs who are less visible and less supported report a lower HRQL and more mental health issues than other AYCs? A total of 2343 young people in Switzerland, amongst them 240 AYCs, completed an online survey. The results show that female AYCs and AYCs with Swiss nationality more often reported having mental health issues than their male and non-Swiss counterparts. Furthermore, the findings show a significant association between receiving support for themselves and visibility from their school or employer and the HRQL. Moreover, AYCs who reported that their school or employer knew about the situation also reported fewer mental health issues. These findings can inform recommendations for policy and practice to develop measures aimed at raising the visibility of AYCs, which is the first step for planning AYC tailored support.

Keywords: adolescent young carers (AYCs); mental health; well-being; AYCs characteristics; support; visibility; HRQL (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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