‘My childhood life falling apart’: A retrospective study of young carers managing parental mental illness in Taiwan

Abstract

The population of young carers of parents with mental illness is more likely to be hidden in the community due to the family's concerns related to stigma. Many young carers struggle with caring difficulties with a lack of social support. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the difficulties of young carers managing parental mental illness in Taiwan from retrospective perspectives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 participants who used to be young carers of parents with mental illness. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes emerged. First, participants experienced grief over the loss of their parent's normality and the disruption of the parent–child relationship. Having to deal with issues alone, they described their childhood lives as falling apart. Second, families tended to conceal mental illness by refusing to seek outside support, resulting in young carers struggling in vulnerable situations. Third, participants used coping strategies to find a balance between maintaining parental mental illness and reducing the impact on their well-being. Most participants used solitary strategies to cope with their emotional distress. Some participants used destructive ways to suppress their pain and sorrow when there seemed no way to improve their family situation. The findings reflect on the vulnerabilities of young carers of parents with mental illness. Services and practitioners should work together to recognise young carers' identities and provide suitable resources to young carers to help them deal with life crises and meet their developmental needs.