Research on the prevalence of young carers and the positive effect of young carer experiences

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13474
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08020:Social welfare-related
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Kanehara Akiko 東京大学, 医学部附属病院, 助教 (30771745)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ヤングケアラー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In international collaborative research with Dr. Stephen Joseph of the University of Nottingham in the UK, we created an internationally comparable young carer scale and conducted a survey of the presence of young carers in Japan. The prevalence of young carers among 5000 adolescents was estimated to be 7.4%, comparable to that reported in Western countries and in recent surveys in Japan using nonstandardized methods. YCs exhibited significantly higher scores for prosocial behavior and emotional symptoms than non- young carers. Based on the results, we opened a young carer information page and created and posted booklets for schools and families, as well as for those involved. We held six training sessions on support for school personnel across the country.

Free Research Field

精神医学・精神保健学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

英国などの先進的な取り組みを参考に、日本でも若年介護者支援を推進するためには、国際的に比較可能な尺度を用いた疫学調査を行う必要があり、本研究によって、それを果たすことができた。いくつかの先行文献では、若年介護者における潜在的なポジティブなアウトカムについて議論されており、本研究でも、ヤングケアラーが向社会的行動などのポジティブなアウトカムと関連していることが示された。これらの結果に基づき、ヤングケアラーの定義やサポートについて、冊子・インターネット・研修会などで広く、学校関係者・保護者・本人に届けることができた。