"Young carer" who is in charge of long-term care 1 in 25 high school students Saitama Prefectural Survey November 22, 0:28
According to a survey in Saitama Prefecture, one out of every 25 high school students is a so-called "young carer" who is under the age of 18 who takes care of their families.
This is the first large-scale survey in Japan on this issue, and Saitama Prefecture is considering support measures such as establishing a consultation system.
"Young carers" are children under the age of 18 who are in charge of family care, and this year, Saitama Prefecture surveyed about 55,000 second-year high school students in the prefecture to understand the actual situation. And received responses from about 90%.
In the survey, I gave 10 items such as "I do household chores such as washing and cooking on behalf of my family" and "I take care of my surroundings" now or in the past, and asked if I was a "young carer". It turned out that 4.1% is applicable.
That's one in 25 people.
When asked about the impact on life with multiple answers, 42% answered that there was no effect, while 19% said that they felt lonely, followed by 17% that they felt stress, and that they had enough study time. You can see the fact that your physical condition and learning are affected, such as 10% saying "I can't get stress".
Furthermore, regarding the number of long-term care, 35% of the respondents answered "every day".
This is the first large-scale survey of young carers in Japan, and Saitama Prefecture is considering support measures such as establishing a consultation system based on the results of this survey.
What is a "young carer"?
A "young carer" is a child under the age of 18 who is in charge of family care.
If the family needs nursing care due to illness or disability and there is no other adult to support, they will be responsible for housework.
Children called young carers are faced with problems such as difficulty in learning and employment due to daily care.
However, it is difficult to grasp the actual situation due to events at home, and there are many cases where it is difficult for children themselves to speak up or where to ask for help in case of trouble, making it difficult for the problem to surface. I will.
Expert "Not a number that can be disregarded"
Associate Professor Yoshie Hamashima of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Osaka Dental University, who has been studying "young carers," said the results of this survey, "Given that there is one young carer in a high school class, it is not a number that can be disregarded." I will.
On top of that, "The difficulty of living for young carer children is related to the human rights of children, and it is a problem that the government should take measures. We will take prompt measures such as creating a place to stay so as not to be isolated, learning support, and dietary support. Should be hit. "