Abstract：
To identify the characteristics of adolescent young carers (AYCs), studies in the literature have compared them with non-AYCs, but without considering that in the latter group, some face the illness of a relative whereas others do not.
The aims of the study were (1) to identify the characteristics of AYCs as compared with adolescents who are not young carers but are facing the illness/disability of a relative, or adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative, and (2) to identify factors associated with being a carer within adolescents facing a relative illness.
A total of 4000 high school students (grades 10-12, mainly aged 15-17 years, 568 identified as AYCs, 1200 as adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and 2232 as adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative) completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, illness/disability in the family, caregiving activities (MACA-YC18 and specific emotional support scale), quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10) and mental health (GHQ-12). Chi-square tests, ANOVAs and logistic regressions were performed.
AYCs scored lower on the quality-of-life measure compared with adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative (p < .001) and had poorer mental health compared with adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative (p < .001). Logistic regressions showed that youth were more at risk to be an AYC when they were females (p < .001), when they had an extracurricular job (p < .001), spoke another language at home (p < .01), had siblings and were one of the oldest siblings (p < .001), and when the relative had a serious or chronic physical illness (p < .001) and lived with the youth (p < .001).
These results highlight the importance of distinguishing AYCs, adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative to better describe AYCs, recognizing that as the level of care provided might change over time, adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer could become AYCs or inversely. The factors that emerged could be used by professionals to better identify AYCs.
The aims of the study were (1) to identify the characteristics of AYCs as compared with adolescents who are not young carers but are facing the illness/disability of a relative, or adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative, and (2) to identify factors associated with being a carer within adolescents facing a relative illness.
A total of 4000 high school students (grades 10-12, mainly aged 15-17 years, 568 identified as AYCs, 1200 as adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and 2232 as adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative) completed a self-reported questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, illness/disability in the family, caregiving activities (MACA-YC18 and specific emotional support scale), quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10) and mental health (GHQ-12). Chi-square tests, ANOVAs and logistic regressions were performed.
AYCs scored lower on the quality-of-life measure compared with adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative (p < .001) and had poorer mental health compared with adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative (p < .001). Logistic regressions showed that youth were more at risk to be an AYC when they were females (p < .001), when they had an extracurricular job (p < .001), spoke another language at home (p < .01), had siblings and were one of the oldest siblings (p < .001), and when the relative had a serious or chronic physical illness (p < .001) and lived with the youth (p < .001).
These results highlight the importance of distinguishing AYCs, adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer and adolescents not facing the illness/disability of a relative to better describe AYCs, recognizing that as the level of care provided might change over time, adolescents facing the illness/disability of a relative without being a carer could become AYCs or inversely. The factors that emerged could be used by professionals to better identify AYCs.
摘要：
背景：为了确定青少年照顾者（AYC）的特征，文献中的研究将它们与非AYC进行了比较，但是不考虑在后一组中，有些人面临亲戚的疾病，而另一些人则没有。
目的：这项研究的目的是（1）与不是年轻照顾者但面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，确定AYC的特征，或未面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年，和（2）确定与成为面临相对疾病的青少年中的照顾者相关的因素。
方法：共有4000名高中生（10-12年级，主要是15-17岁，568个被确定为AYC，1200人是面对亲戚的疾病/残疾而没有照顾者的青少年，而2232人是没有亲戚的疾病/残疾的青少年）完成了自我报告的问卷，评估了社会人口统计学特征，家庭中的疾病/残疾，护理活动（MACA-YC18和特定的情感支持量表），生活质量（KIDSCREEN-10）和心理健康（GHQ-12）。卡方检验,进行了方差分析和逻辑回归。
结果：与未面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，AYC在生活质量方面得分较低（p<.001），与未面对亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，AYC的心理健康较差。Logistic回归显示，当青年是女性时，青年更有可能成为AYC（p<.001），当他们有一份课外工作时(p<.001)，在家说另一种语言(p<.01)，有兄弟姐妹，是最年长的兄弟姐妹之一(p<.001)，当亲戚患有严重或慢性身体疾病（p<.001）并与年轻人生活在一起时（p<.001）。
结论：这些结果突出了区分AYC的重要性，面对亲戚的疾病/残疾而没有照顾者的青少年和没有亲戚的疾病/残疾的青少年更好地描述AYCs，认识到随着时间的推移，所提供的护理水平可能会发生变化，面对亲属疾病/残疾而不是照顾者的青少年可能成为AYC或相反。出现的因素可以被专业人士用来更好地识别AYC。
目的：这项研究的目的是（1）与不是年轻照顾者但面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，确定AYC的特征，或未面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年，和（2）确定与成为面临相对疾病的青少年中的照顾者相关的因素。
方法：共有4000名高中生（10-12年级，主要是15-17岁，568个被确定为AYC，1200人是面对亲戚的疾病/残疾而没有照顾者的青少年，而2232人是没有亲戚的疾病/残疾的青少年）完成了自我报告的问卷，评估了社会人口统计学特征，家庭中的疾病/残疾，护理活动（MACA-YC18和特定的情感支持量表），生活质量（KIDSCREEN-10）和心理健康（GHQ-12）。卡方检验,进行了方差分析和逻辑回归。
结果：与未面临亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，AYC在生活质量方面得分较低（p<.001），与未面对亲属疾病/残疾的青少年相比，AYC的心理健康较差。Logistic回归显示，当青年是女性时，青年更有可能成为AYC（p<.001），当他们有一份课外工作时(p<.001)，在家说另一种语言(p<.01)，有兄弟姐妹，是最年长的兄弟姐妹之一(p<.001)，当亲戚患有严重或慢性身体疾病（p<.001）并与年轻人生活在一起时（p<.001）。
结论：这些结果突出了区分AYC的重要性，面对亲戚的疾病/残疾而没有照顾者的青少年和没有亲戚的疾病/残疾的青少年更好地描述AYCs，认识到随着时间的推移，所提供的护理水平可能会发生变化，面对亲属疾病/残疾而不是照顾者的青少年可能成为AYC或相反。出现的因素可以被专业人士用来更好地识别AYC。
