EMOTIONAL WELLBEING AND MENTAL HEALTH
“I have no help or support whatsoever now – I’m caring 24/7 and I’m exhausted and mentally drained. My young carers service is closing before lockdown ends so I now won’t have any support and I don’t know how I’m going to cope” – Young adult carer, 22
“I am not able to have time to myself other than before the person I care for gets up, before coronavirus I got my break at school and then I would get to see my friends. I feel extremely isolated even though I am living with others” – Young carer, 17
“I am incredibly concerned for the person I care for and I feel incredibly overwhelmed with everything. I now face more pressure with greater care commitments, difficulty in getting food, fears I could make the person I care for very unwell, fearing for my own health and theirs, lacking food, lacking money (reduced
hours due to Covid) and I’m also not eligible for any benefits due to being in full time education. My mental health is suffering greatly and I have no support, alongside no escape” – Young adult carer, 22“It has made my caring role more pronounced/taken away other outlets of my life such as study. It has made me feel more isolated from my friends who don’t have caring responsibilities” – Young adult carer, 24
“I’m stressed with having to care and take care of myself as well as struggling to sleep” – Young carer, 17
“Has made me more anxious, lost, unconnected, unsure and very sad that we can’t hug our dad, nanna, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends. Future so uncertain” – Young carer, 15
“I fell more lonely and isolated than I ever have” – Young adult carer, 21
“Anxiety has dramatically increased and find myself crying at night and don’t know why” – Young carer, 15
“I now spend all day with the person I care for, this is stressful and has a negative impact on my mental health as it makes having dedicated time for school much more difficult. I also am furloughed right now
meaning I don’t have work to use as a form if respite” – Young carer, 16
FRIENDSHIPS AND CONNECTEDNESS
“It’s made my life become very isolated and unenjoyable” – Young adult carer, 18
“No seeing my friends has been hard as was a good way to switch off” – Young carer, 13
“It has made me closer to the person I care for, and it has made me realise that we shouldn’t take what we have for granted” – Young carer, 16
“Made me think more about family and to spend more time with the people you love” – Young adult carer, 22
“The person I care for has seen the biggest improvement in their mental health that I’ve ever seen due to lockdown and stressful work slowing down and this has relieved my duties by a huge number of hours, they now feel able to help with housework and we have a better relationship in general at the moment” – Young carer, 17