Young adult caregivers in higher education: a study of prevalence in France

Abstract

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; Mage = 20.14, SDage=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 noncaregivers. 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.