Login / Signup

Becoming a Caregiver: Experiences of Young Adults Moving into Family Caregiving Roles.

Natalie D PopePaula K BaldwinAllison GibsonKirsten Elin Smith
Published in: Journal of adult development (2022)
While the vast majority of family caregivers struggle to find balance between different roles in their lives, young adult caregivers are faced with the atypical challenge of caring for family member while simultaneously accomplishing developmental tasks typical of this stage in life (e.g., establishing career, developing romantic relationships). This exploratory, qualitative study examined strategies used by young adults to adopt family caregiving roles. These strategies can be described as embracement, compromise, and integration. While each approach allowed for the young adult to facilitate their caregiving role, additional research is needed to understand how the strategy affects the emerging adult's development.
Keyphrases
  • young adults
  • childhood cancer
  • palliative care
  • mental health
  • working memory