Children and adolescents providing care

From left: Urs Moser (Universität Zürich), Hannah Wepf, Agnes Leu, Adrian Würgler (bz-gs Olten), Corinna Jung, Marianne Frech

Basis

There has been no systematic study in Switzerland to date that has investigated the needs of children, adolescents and young adults providing care and the needs of their family members who are sick or disabled. Little is known about their number, nor about the type and extent of their responsibilities or the impact of providing care on their health, well-being, psychosocial development, education, transition into adulthood, future employment relationships or economic participation.

Project

The project “Children, adolescents and young adults as family carers in Switzerland” (study protocol) is conducting a quantitative and qualitative investigation into the nature and characteristics of children, adolescents and young adults providing care in Switzerland. The study, which is supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation, thus fills an important national and international research gap. The project is split into three sub projects:

1. An online survey to investigate awareness among professionals from education, healthcare and social services of the issue of young carers and young adult carers is being conducted throughout Switzerland.
2. Using standard tools, a survey of 4800 schoolchildren is being undertaken to gather quantitative data on the number of children, adolescents and young adult carers and their responsibilities.
3. Semi-structured qualitative interviews are also being conducted in 20 families with children and adolescents and their relatives needing care, to consolidate and validate the findings from the quantitative sub projects 1 and 2. This will capture experiences directly from the family members needing care and the young people caring for them that relate to the issues that were identified in the surveys and in previously published studies.

The findings are linked with significant evidence from other countries.

Results

Here you can find the first results of the surveys.

Project team

Prof. Dr. iur. Agnes Leu, Careum Research (Project Manager)
Prof. Dr. Saul Becker, University of Sussex
Dr. phil. Corinna Jung, former employee of Careum Research (Senior)
Dr. Joe Sempik, University of Birmingham (Senior)
Dr. phil. Martin Verner, University of Zurich (Junior)
Marianne Frech, Careum Research (PhD candidate)

Project cooperation

Dr. Kurt Albermann, Senior consultant Social-paediatric Centre SPZ, Specialist for child and adolescent psychiatry and psychotherapy, FMH Swiss Medical Association, Specialist for paediatrics and adolescent medicine, Winterthur Cantonal Hospital
Prof. Dr. Urs Moser, Manager, Institute for Education Evaluation, University of Zurich

Funding

SNSF Money Follows CH-UK, 10001AM_160355
Lay Summary in the research datebase P3: p3.snf.ch

Duration

October 2015–October 2018