about the study

SUPPORTING YOUNG CAREGIVERS AND THEIR FAMILIES DURING RECOVERY FROM COVID-19

A child in a pink sweater helping a younger child put on a protective mask in front of a school bus

Background

More than 8 million Canadians provide informal unpaid care to a family member or friend with injury, disability, or illness.

Ontario alone has an estimated 3.3 million family caregivers and of these, 17% are young caregivers (15-25 years of age) who provide physical, medical, and emotional support to a parent, grandparent, or sibling while juggling school and sometimes even paid work.

Most Canadians are unaware of the responsibilities and challenges faced by these ‘invisible’ caregivers and they are a severely understudied group in Canada. Lacking adequate support, they can experience short- and long-term harms to academic, personal, social, and professional development— the "young carer penalty". Lack of support can also contribute to stress and depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, loneliness and isolation, difficulty relating to peers, and possibly suicidal ideation among young caregivers.

Why does this matter?

Our previous project revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues for young carers and their families, with this population being particularly vulnerable to disruptions in schooling and employment. In this study, we wish to understand young caregivers' and their families’ responses to restrictions, isolation, closures, and reopenings. We will also identify strategies to address young caregivers’ needs in order to support families in both the short-term and long-term. The study builds on previous scholarship and our own work in this area and addresses key knowledge, policy, and practice gaps identified by stakeholders across Canada.

methodology

For this study, we will be recruiting families with young caregivers from both rural and urban communities in Ontario. We will be conducting semi-structured interviews with these families at the following times:

At baseline (when the family is recruited)
In 6 months
In 1 year
In 2 years

Additional group interviews and focus groups with informal community members, change-makers, and service providers will also be held in order to identify the current work and supports given to young caregivers at this time. Key policy- and decision-makers will also be interviewed to understand the experiences and challenges that individuals involved in policy development encounter as they work towards creating policies that are inclusive of young caregivers and their families, especially during a time when policy-making is crucial in maintaining family needs.

Data will be analyzed at the level of individual interviews, family units, groups, and subgroups. Rural and urban settings will be compared to identify common and unique characteristics and experiences related to COVID-19’s impact on young caregivers and their families, including how challenges were navigated and different changes were adapted to.

interested in participating?

Join the Study

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E-mail: kristine.newman[at]ryerson.ca

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