Young people who care for a relative less likely to go on to higher education – ESRI

The ESRI's Caregiving Among Young Adults in Ireland report, part of the Growing Up in Ireland series, reports that young carers are more likely to underperform in the Leaving Cert. Picture: iStock

Teenagers providing care in their own home are more likely to underperform in the Leaving Cert and less likely to proceed to third level education, a new report has found. 

The research, Caregiving Among Young Adults in Ireland —  produced by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) — found that a quarter of 17-year-olds are engaged in domestic caregiving. The new report, part of the the national longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland study, stated that that figure fell to a fifth by the time the subjects had turned 20.

The main beneficiaries of that care when given by 17-year-olds (15% of the cohort) is younger siblings, according to the report, followed by grandparents, or other older relatives on 12%.

Over half of young caregivers provide care to multiple recipients. 

Caregiving is also split between different groups. The study’s authors Helen Russell and Emer Smyth found that, while socioeconomic status was a greater indicator of likely caregiving for 17-year-olds from less-advantaged families, this was not the case for caregivers aged 20. And there was little differentiation between gender and the likelihood of being a carer at 17. 

Prof Helen Russell, the head of the ESRI's social research division, said informal caregiving is essential to society but is “often invisible'. File picture: Gareth Chaney

However, at the age of 20, men were more likely to be carers than women.

Regarding academic achievement, those giving care at 17 tend to do more poorly in the Leaving Cert than those who are not. That is particularly the case when caring for multiple family members, the ESRI said.

Young carers are less likely to go on to third-level education, the study found, and if they do, their choices are constrained by the need to live at home during studies in order to maintain caregiving. 

The study found “little evidence” of a link between caregiving and physical health or mental wellbeing. 

However, those with more intensive caring involvement were more likely to be obese or to report themselves as in poor health.

#EmerSmyth and I will be presenting our results based on the @GrowingUpIre study. All welcome! register below 👇 https://t.co/AMeM7CQ03H

— Helen Russell (@helenrussell32) January 23, 2024

Meanwhile, having a mother with depression was linked to poorer levels of general wellbeing among young adults. 

Prof Russell said informal caregiving while essential to society is “often invisible”. She said the study serves to highlight “the important role that care provided by young people for their siblings, grandparents and others plays in family lives”.

Given that carers tend to be a diverse group, the study’s authors said its findings indicate that providing supports based on income would not be as useful in this context as in others. 

They said a statutory home care scheme, with the addition of young carers as a target group for educational supports such as Tusla’s school completion programme, could have the potential to address the educational disadvantages highlighted by the report.