Campus Life and Mental Health of Young Adult Carer

Abstract

Young adult carers face difficulties peculiar to developmental stage, whereas the actual situation of carers at universities is unclear. This study aimed to clarify the campus life and mental health of carers at universities. Health survey data including care experiences and student counseling data were analyzed for 7,174 students. Consequently, 2.76% of subjects were carers in a variety of situations. There was unbalanced frequency distribution between the care experience and multifaceted difficulties in student life. Mental health showed a small relation with the difficulties in student life because of care (V=.2027). There was also unbalanced frequency distribution between care experiences and student counseling use, but some difficult students did not use counseling. Free description showed that change of care situation because of leaving parents' home, limited care role when going and seeing their family, difficulty in attendance and future, and mental burden. Multidimensional assessment and flexible and long-term support contents based on it by various support subjects are essential.