| 1. |
- Herman Nap, Henk, et al.
(författare)
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D3.1 Consolidated strategy and theory report : ME-WE project deliverable
- 2018
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Rapport (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This deliverable presents the results from three activities to provide an in-depth systematic overview of successful strategies to improve Young Carers (YCs’) mental health and wellbeing. The results form a base for a consolidated strategy and theory for the ME-WE intervention and app to be further developed in WP4. A Delphi study gathered insights into the visibility, awareness, interventions and future needs of YCs in six European countries and on an international level. In addition, a systematic literature review, a general literature review, and social media analyses were carried out. Following these tasks, a rating, ranking and consolidation task was performed to iteratively build a dynamic ranked high impact list with national and international strategies and programmes that can serve as exemplars for the ME-WE intervention.
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| 2. |
- Barbabella, Francesco, Dr. 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Recruitment of Adolescent Young Carers to a Psychosocial Support Intervention Study in Six European Countries : Lessons Learned from the ME-WE Project
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 20:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Young carers provide a substantial amount of care to family members and support to friends, yet their situation has not been actively addressed in research and policy in many European countries or indeed globally. Awareness of their situation by professionals and among children and young carers themselves remains low overall. Thus, young carers remain a largely hidden group within society. This study reports and analyses the recruitment process in a multi-centre intervention study offering psychosocial support to adolescent young carers (AYCs) aged 15–17 years. A cluster-randomised controlled trial was designed, with recruitment taking place in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom exploiting various channels, including partnerships with schools, health and social services and carers organisations. In total, 478 AYCs were recruited and, after screening failures, withdrawals and initial dropouts, 217 were enrolled and started the intervention. Challenges encountered in reaching, recruiting and retaining AYCs included low levels of awareness among AYCs, a low willingness to participate in study activities, uncertainty about the prevalence of AYCs, a limited school capacity to support the recruitment; COVID-19 spreading in 2020–2021 and related restrictions. Based on this experience, recommendations are put forward for how to better engage AYCs in research.
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| 3. |
- D’Amen, Barbara, et al.
(författare)
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Italian Adolescent Young Caregivers of Grandparents : Difficulties Experienced and Support Needed in Intergenerational Caregiving—Qualitative Findings from a European Union Funded Project
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The article aims to describe the experiences of 87 Italian adolescent young caregivers (AYCs) of grandparents (GrPs), with reference to the caregiving stress appraisal model (CSA) that provides a theoretical lens to explore the difficulties encountered and support needed in their caring role. Qualitative data were drawn from an online survey conducted within an EU Horizon 2020 funded project. An inductive thematic analysis was carried out, and the findings were critically interpreted within the conceptual framework of the CSA model. The analysis highlighted three categories of difficulties: material, communication and emotional/psychological. The most common material difficulty was the physical strain associated with moving “uncooperative” disabled older adults. The types of support needed concerned both emotional and material support. The study provides a deeper understanding of the under-studied experiences of AYCs of GrPs. Based on these findings, policies and support measures targeted at AYCs of GrPs should include early needs detection, emotional support and training on intergenerational caring in order to mitigate the stress drivers. Moreover, the study advances the conceptualisation of the CSA model by considering the above-mentioned aspects related to intergenerational caregiving
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| 4. |
- Di Matteo, Claudia, et al.
(författare)
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The influence of gender and class on the transition to retirement: A longitudinal qualitative study on Italian older workers’ experiences
- 2022
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Ingår i: The Sociological Review. - : SAGE Publications. - 0038-0261 .- 1467-954X. ; 70:3, s. 506-525
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The aim of this study is the reconstruction of the multifaceted points of view related to the transition from work to retirement using a gender perspective. This article includes 40 interviews of ageing Italian workers, 24 women and 16 men, carried out in the cusp of retirement (wave 1) and two years after retirement (wave 3). The experiences related to the ‘decision to retire’ and ‘life after retirement’ were analysed using a complex theoretical framework based on the work of Bourdieu combined with the concept of gendered habitus developed by feminists’ theorizations. The findings identified the elements characterizing women’s narratives in such a way that it was possible to describe the ambivalent women’s positions embedded in the Italian socio-economic context. The voices of the participants were taken as case examples to draw attention to the critical nature of personal gendered identities, which are mostly influenced by structural conditions related to a particular welfare regime (e.g. work and retirement policies) aiming to fix normative behaviours in later life. Nevertheless, the gendered habitus, as an expression of inner discourses, illustrates at the same time the nature of both constraints and freedom possessed by the respondents. We conclude by pointing out the importance of reflexive social approaches applied to the study of gender inequalities in later life.
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| 5. |
- Hanson, Elizabeth, 1961-, et al.
(författare)
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Research and Innovation for and with Adolescent Young Carers to Influence Policy and Practice—The European Union Funded “ME-WE” Project
- 2022
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Ingår i: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. - : MDPI. - 1661-7827 .- 1660-4601. ; 19:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Young carers are children and adolescents who provide care to other family members or friends, taking over responsibilities that are usually associated with adulthood. There is emerging but still scarce knowledge worldwide about the phenomenon of young carers and the impact of a caring role on their health, social and personal development spheres. This paper provides an overview of the main results from the ME-WE project, which is the first European research and innovation project dedicated to adolescent young carers (AYCs) (15–17 years). The project methods relied on three main activities: (1) a systematization of knowledge (by means of a survey to AYCs, country case studies, Delphi study, literature review); (2) the co-design, implementation and evaluation of a primary prevention intervention addressing AYCs’ mental health (by means of Blended Learning Networks and a clinical trial in six European countries); (3) the implementation of knowledge translation actions for dissemination, awareness, advocacy and lobbying (by means of national and international stakeholder networks, as well as traditional and new media). Project results substantially contributed to a better understanding of AYCs’ conditions, needs and preferences, defined tailored support intervention (resilient to COVID-19 related restrictions), and significant improvements in national and European policies for AYCs.
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| 6. |
- Leu, Agnes, et al.
(författare)
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The 2021 cross-national and comparative classification of in-country awareness and policy responses to ‘young carers’
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Youth Studies. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 1367-6261 .- 1469-9680. ; 26:5, s. 619-636
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many children under the age of 18 are drawn into unpaid caring roles because they live in families where there is chronic illness, mental health problems or substance misuse, and because other alternatives are not available. Many of these children, widely referred to as ‘young carers’, provides regular and significant amounts of care, often ‘hidden’ because of the absence of awareness by professionals in the fields of education, health and social care. While there are some positive outcomes for children, published research also shows that children’s caring tasks can have negative outcomes, especially during the transition between school and further/higher education and paid work. This paper presents an overview, cross-national and comparative analysis of the different legislation, policy and service frameworks to support young carers in a number of countries. It utilises a qualitative assessment approach and a 7-point classification to understand the state of development and progress since 2017. While the legislation, policy and service frameworks differ significantly among the observed countries, an international and collaborative research network has emerged in the last five years. This plays a vital role as a driver for increasing the awareness of young carers and further national and cross-national policy developments in the future.
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| 7. |
- Lewis, Feylyn Mercedies, et al.
(författare)
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The first cross-national study of adolescent young carers aged 15–17 in six European countries
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Care and Caring. - : Policy Press. - 2397-8821 .- 2397-883X. ; 7:1, s. 6-32
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- For the first time, this article will provide a cross-national profile of adolescents who provide unpaid care to their ill or disabled family members in six European countries with varied levels of awareness, policy and service provision regarding adolescent young carers. Utilising an online survey, 2,099 adolescent young carers were identified in Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. This article focuses on the impact of unpaid care on their mental health, well-being, physical health and education. Their preferences for informal and formal support were also examined. These groundbreaking findings help promote a ‘rights’ approach to adolescent young carers, which can serve as a critical driver for supportive policy creation on both a country-specific and pan-European level.
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| 8. |
- Nap, Henk Herman, et al.
(författare)
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The awareness, visibility and support for young carers across Europe : a Delphi study
- 2020
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Ingår i: BMC Health Services Research. - : BioMed Central. - 1472-6963. ; 20:1, s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundAcross Europe, young carers (YCs) and their need for support receive limited attention in the media, policy and empirical research, even though, similar to adult carers, they also provide care to ill family members. The Delphi study, a qualitative research methodology, which provides the focus for this article, had the overall aim of exploring existing successful strategies to support YCs. Compared to YCs, even less is known about adolescent young carers (AYCs), a group that is in a critical life transition phase. The study forms part of an EU Horizon 2020 funded research project on AYCs aged 15-17years old.MethodsA two-round Delphi study was conducted with 66 experts on YCs from 10 European countries. Topics included: (i) visibility and awareness-raising of YCs at local, regional, and national levels, (ii) current interventions to support YCs, and (iii) future strategies to support YCs.ResultsExperts reported a lack of visibility and awareness about YCs in general, and AYCs in particular. Although awareness is slowly increasing in most countries, with the UK ranked highest, experts acknowledged that it remains challenging to identify YCs in many countries. Furthermore, the level and type of support available for YCs differs, with most countries mainly offering support on a local level. Diverse views were expressed regarding future strategies to support YCs. Experts highlighted the importance of specific legislation to formalise the rights of YCs, and the issue of whether young people should be safeguarded from caregiving or if this should be considered part of regular family life. They also emphasised the relevance of available integrated support services for YCs, including schools, family, health and social care.ConclusionsIn most European countries, there is a lack of awareness and visibility on YCs. Identification of YCs is a crucial first step and there is need for a common definition of YCs, together with greater opportunities for young adults to identify themselves as YCs.
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| 9. |
- Prpic, Nikola-Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Gene expression in spider appendages reveals reversal of exd/hth spatial specificity, altered leg gap gene dynamics, and suggests divergent distal morphogen signaling
- 2003
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Ingår i: Developmental Biology. - 0012-1606 .- 1095-564X. ; , s. 119-140
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Leg development in Drosophila has been studied in much detail. However, Drosophila limbs form in the larva as imaginal discs and not during embryogenesis as in most other arthropods. Here, we analyze appendage genes in the spider Cupiennius salei and the beetle Tribolium castaneum. Differences in decapentaplegic (dpp) expression suggest a different mode of distal morphogen signaling suitable for the specific geometry of growing limb buds. Also, expression of the proximal genes homothorax (hth) and extradenticle (exd) is significantly altered: in the spider, exd is restricted to the proximal leg and hth expression extends distally, while in insects, exd is expressed in the entire leg and hth is restricted to proximal parts. This reversal of spatial specificity demonstrates an evolutionary shift, which is nevertheless compatible with a conserved role of this gene pair as instructor of proximal fate. Different expression dynamics of dachshund and Distal-less point to modifications in the regulation of the leg gap gene system. We comment on the significance of this finding for attempts to homologize leg segments in different arthropod classes. Comparison of the expression profiles of H15 and optomotor-blind to the Drosophila patterns suggests modifications also in the dorsal—ventral patterning system of the legs. Together, our results suggest alterations in many components of the leg developmental system, namely proximal—distal and dorsal—ventral patterning, and leg segmentation. Thus, the leg developmental system exhibits a propensity to evolutionary change, which probably forms the basis for the impressive diversity of arthropod leg morphologies.
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| 10. |
- Santini, Sara, et al.
(författare)
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Adolescent young caregivers of older, sick or disabled family members : evidence from the ‘ME-WE’ European project online survey in Italy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Presented at the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics European Region Congress 2019, Gothenburg, Sweden, May 23-25, 2019.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: Several studies at national level show that the phenomenon of Adolescent Young Caregivers (AYCs) of older, sick or disabled family members is increasing, despite the fact that European data are missing. Having family care responsibilities can compromise AYC’s mental well-being, school performance, training, work opportunities and social inclusion. The Horizon 2020 “ME-WE” project, aims at systematizing the knowledge about AYCs at European level and strengthening their resilience.Methods: About 3,000 adolescents (aged 15-17) were surveyed in 2018 in six European countries (Italy, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK) through an on-line questionnaire including demographic questions, the Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities Checklist, the Positive and Negative Outcomes of Caring Questionnaire and Kidscreen Questionnaire. The survey had the goal of examining the prevalence of AYCs in the six partner countries and outlining profiles, needs and preferences of European AYCs. Data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics.Results: In Italy, 243 (i.e. 27% out of 886 surveyed adolescents) were identified as AYCs, mainly females (62.1%). 60.5% of AYCs provided care for their grandparents (80 for grandfathers, 67 for grandmothers). Due to care responsibilities, 3.3% of Italian AYCs found it difficult to attend school and study with proficiency; 3,7% were bullied; 5.8% reported mental health problems (e.g. depression or anxiety). Only 7.8% received support connected with their caring role. Conclusion: “ME-WE” represents the first systematic study on AYCs in Europe. Italian findings highlighted a notable proportion of AYCs of older people and that just a few of them received support, with negative effects on their mental well-being, school performance and social inclusion. In light of the above, tailored policies and interventions for enhancing Italian AYC’s resilience are needed as well as training for boosting educational and health practitioners’ capability of identifying and appropriately sup
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