First ever Norwegian national data on Young Carers

Since 2018, Pårørendealliansen (Norwegian alliance for informal carers)  has been advocating for Young carers. In Norway, they have good data on children and young carers up to 18 years, but no national data on the group from 16 to 26 years old. Since pushing for a National Informal Carers strategy, which came to life in 2020, our member managed to get this group of carers on the map. They finally have some data to start with for young (adult) carers also in Norway!

They produced an English short version of the most important findings and hope that this is of interest!

As a number, about 18 % of Norwegian youth between 16 and 25 years report that they are in some form of caring role.

MOST IMPORTANT FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY AND THE IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS

1. Young carers report significantly lower mental health and well-being than the general and comparable youth population.
2. The greatest consequences of being a young carer is social in nature. Their situation affects their friendships and their schoolwork.
3. Young carers experience increased self-worth and feel that they can handle challenging tasks. However, there is a thin line between the positive consequences and negative ones like exhaustion and anxiety.
4. Young carers want more information about their situation, both regarding the patient and to their role as a young carer.
5. Young carers need external validation of their emotions and reactions, be it from a health-care professional and/or teachers .

Please feel free to contact Pårørendealliansen if you need more information on the survey : ava@parorendealliansen.no