Investigation of Factors Influencing Young Carer's Care Burden:

From the Family Relationship and Psychological Experience by Care:

Abstract

　　In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted for young people who routinely take care of other family members in their homes called “Young carer (hereinafter referred to as YC).” The purpose was to clarify the relationship between YC's family relationship and the psychological experience associated with YC’s involvement in family care and “care burden.” An Internet survey was conducted through a survey company, and 173 YCs at the time of research received responses. As a result of the analysis, for YC's “care burden,” excessive care burden on YC individuals such as “escape feeling,” “practical burden”, “excessive care role,” seriousness of care needs such as “severity of care level,” and “family equity,” which is considered to express the balance of power relationships among families, was affected. Although previous studies on adolescent mental health have shown that power balance of family's functions positively in psychological adjustment by increasing autonomy and self-determination in adolescents, The results showed that “family equity,” which shows the balance of power among family members, is related to YC's “care burden,” and there was a difference from previous studies. YC has family members who need care, and the family needs to deal with the care. In such a situation, it was considered that autonomy and self-determination promoted by balance of power encouraged voluntary cooperation in care and related to YC's care burden. From these, support to families that suppress the care burden of YC while maintaining family power balance that promotes autonomy and selfdetermination that are expected to have positive impact on adolescent adjustment was also considered necessary.