Carers Week: Helpful books for young carers to support their mental health

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Carers Week (8-14 June) is an annual campaign to raise awareness of unpaid carers, highlighting the – often invisible – challenges they face, as well as the contribution they make to families and communities across the UK.

Based on the latest census, there are 166,000 young carers in England, but recent research estimates that there are in fact 800,000 young people aged 11-18 who give up their time to care for someone.

Being a young carer often means looking after a family member who is unwell (due to mental or physical disabilities or reliance on substances) or helping them by looking after other members of the family while they are unable to.

Children and young adults who take on carer responsibilities for parents, siblings or other extended family members often find it difficult to juggle home responsibilities with school or college, and can experience higher levels of stress and anxiety, lower self-esteem and depression.

A YouGov study, published by Carers Trust, revealed that more than a third of young carers feel “stressed” or “worried” because they are caring for someone.

This problem is particularly pertinent during coronavirus, with a recent Carers UK survey finding that 70 per cent of carers are providing more care due to Covid-19.

Helen Leadbitter, young carers lead at the Children's Society – a charity working to support vulnerable children in England and Wales – told The Independent: "Many young carers have told us they depend on everyday activities like going to school, seeing friends and being part of young carers groups to help them cope with their added responsibilities."

She added that: "Many rely on talking to teachers, youth workers and their peers for assurance, but with schools and support groups closed due to the corona virus crisis we are really concerned many young carers are missing out on vital help."

Research by Caring Together – a charity which supports young carers – has similarly highlighted the impact of coronavirus, noting that 79 per cent of young carers reportedly feel more isolated, 57 per cent unable to take a break from caring and 46 per cent feeling unable to cope.

There is a range of resources available to young carers online – for example, Action for Carers has a guide to managing anxiety during coronavirus, which includes links to digital field trips, the Children's Society offers tips for overcoming loneliness and isolation, and Carers UK has put together a list of ideas of how carers can look after their own mental health and wellbeing, including allocating time in the day to do something you enjoy, such as reading. Yet finding the time to stop, as well as get help, isn’t always easy when you’re caring for someone else.

Whether your child is a young carer who is struggling with anxiety or stress, or would like to know more about young carers, these books offer a great way to encourage conversations about how to cope with the challenges they face. These resources may also help young carers feel less alone, as well as less stressed and anxious.

Where possible, we have tried to include free links to the books featured, to help anyone with access to these resources.

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