Young people who take on caring roles are disproportionately impacted by mental ill-health, and the profound challenges many face remain largely invisible, a new report from Orygen has found.
The report, developed by the Orygen Policy Centre in collaboration with the Orygen Youth Advisory Council, offers policy solutions aimed at supporting the almost 400,000 young carers in Australia – 70 per cent of whom report high to very high levels of psychological distress.
FULL REPORT: Supporting the mental health of young carers
Evidence has found 40 per cent of 14-15 year-olds in Australia take on a carer role (providing unpaid care, assistance or support to a family member or friend), and research indicates that the prevalence of young carers is significantly under-reported.
Young carers in Australia
Lead author and Senior Policy Analyst at Orygen, Ashleigh Bulluss, said that the mental health impacts for young people were significant, and adolescents with caring responsibilities at ages 14-15 had increased levels of psychological distress by ages 18-19.
“This is really concerning, because currently we don’t have great systems to identify and support young carers, despite the additional burden they may be under, and the mental health risks they may be facing,” Bulluss said.
“We know that young people who provide care for at least six months at ages 16-17 are 86 per cent more likely to report suicidal or self-harming behaviours just a few years later – much higher than their peers – so better recognising and supporting these young people offers an important opportunity for early intervention.
“If we can put the right supports in place we can potentially change the trajectory of these young people’s lives.”
The report found that caring responsibilities for young people can come with increased stress and anxiety, social isolation, disrupted education or employment, physical strain, lack of sleep and other challenges – but that these impacts are often hidden.
“We found that young carers can face distinct barriers to support, in part because for many their caring roles are largely hidden from the outside world, so people at school or university might not see the strain they are under,” Bulluss said.
“While there can be positive aspects to caring for family or friends, having these extra responsibilities – which can come with physical, emotional and financial strain – at a key stage in life development can put young people on a path to mental ill-health.
“We need to prioritise early, effective support systems that protect the mental wellbeing of young carers and reduce future health inequalities, so the young people providing these vital roles in our society are able to thrive into adulthood.”
Key policy recommendation include:
- Improve awareness and identification of young carers
- Increase access to developmentally appropriate mental health support
- Strengthen capacity of systems (e.g. educational settings) and workforces (e.g. mental health and other health professionals) to respond to young carers
- Include young carers as a priority group under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement
- Increase funding to expand the Young Carer Bursary Program to 5,000 bursaries per year from 2027–28
The Orygen Youth Advisory Council’s involvement, alongside the experiences and insights shared by young carers and organisations across Australia, has helped ensure these recommendations are grounded in lived experience.
As well as bringing awareness to the mental health impacts experienced by young carers, the report demonstrates the value of genuine youth participation in policymaking.
FULL REPORT: Supporting the mental health of young carers