Young Adult Caregivers in Higher Education: A Study of Prevalence in France

Autor/inn/en	Chevrier, Basilie; Untas, Aurélie; Dorard, Géraldine
Titel	Young Adult Caregivers in Higher Education: A Study of Prevalence in France
Quelle	In: Journal of Further and Higher Education, 47 (2023) 5, S.699-710 (12 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Chevrier, Basilie) ORCID (Untas, Aurélie) ORCID (Dorard, Géraldine)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0309-877X
DOI	10.1080/0309877X.2023.2190878
Schlagwörter	Young Adults; Caregivers; Higher Education; Incidence; Foreign Countries; Mental Health; Females; Low Income; College Students; Distance Education; Stress Variables; Well Being; France + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Young adult; Junger Erwachsener; Caregiver; Carer; Betreuungsperson; Pfleger; Hochschulbildung; Hochschulsystem; Hochschulwesen; Vorkommen; Ausland; Psychohygiene; Weibliches Geschlecht; Niedriglohn; Collegestudent; Distance study; Distance learning; Fernunterricht; Well-being; Wellness; Wohlbefinden; Frankreich
Abstract	"Young adult caregivers" are people aged 18-25 years who care for a relative with an illness/disability. They are an understudied population. In France, there are currently no data and no public services specifically targeting them while literature showed that caregiving has consequences on academic development. As the pursuit of higher education is a societal expectation, the aim of this study was to examine the prevalence, characteristics, and mental health of young adult caregiver students in France to promote policy and practice development. Between February 2019 and April 2021, 6767 students (77.28% women; M[subscript age] = 20.14, SD[subscript age] = 1.87) answered a self-report questionnaire assessing sociodemographic-academic characteristics, relative's illness/disability, caregiving activities, perceived support, and mental health. Results showed that 63.17% of participants were confronted with the illness/disability of a relative, and 15.86% provided a high level of support and could thus be classified as young adult caregivers. They were generally females from low-income families who experienced financial hardship, and they mostly cared for a mother or grandparent with a physical or mental illness. Regarding academic characteristics, they were mostly enrolled on a care-related course, in some cases via a distance learning program. They reported current and previous academic difficulties. They reported poorer mental health than non-caregivers. The identification procedure based on the extent of caregiving activities should be tailored to the characteristics of emerging adults. Considering the high prevalence of young adult caregivers in France, there is an urgent need to enhance awareness to better identify and support those in higher education. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01