Children of seriously ill parents 'invisible' to services
Neil Puffett
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Children whose parents or carers are seriously ill are an "invisible group" suffering with mental health problems and a lack of support, researchers have claimed.
A report by the Open University and Hope Support Services, a UK charity which supports young people aged 11 and over when a close family member has been diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening illness, found that as many as one million children aged between 11 and 17 in the UK have a parent or caregiver with a longstanding illness.
The report said that while there are a number of organisations that offer services for children and young people around social care, education and mental health issues, there are few organisations that deliver the range of support that children and young people experiencing a family health crisis require.
"The number of young people in the UK who are living with a family health crisis is not well documented and is currently an under-researched area," the report states.
"Yet small scale, localised studies indicate that a significant proportion of young people live with a parent/carer, grandparent and/or sibling who is chronically or terminally ill.
"Furthermore, a small body of research literature suggests that there are many young people throughout the UK who are unable to access appropriate and yet much-needed support to cope with a family health crisis.
"This not only reflects the uneven distribution of support across the UK but an over-reliance on charitable intervention rather than policy-funded programmes of support.
"Currently young people experiencing a family health crisis in the UK are an invisible group. Such young people are vulnerable, potentially at risk and far more strategic effort is required."
Some young people whose parents are seriously ill are also likely to be young carers - looking after or supporting them in some way. According to the 2011 Census, there are officially 166,000 young carers in England, but The Children's Society estimates the true figure could be as high as 700,000.
The report found that most common issues for young people with seriously ill parents were mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, or panic attacks, with more than half of children referred to Hope needing support with this (55 per cent). Issues with relationships, loneliness and problems at school were also reported.
It recommends that government regularly collects national data, that it reviews and revises national and local policies, and develops more flexible face-to-face support across education, health and social care professions.
It also calls for young people to be involved in the design and delivery of support.
Jane Payler, professor of education at the Open University, who co-authored the research report said: "Around a million children in the UK have a parent or carer who has a long-term serious illness such as cancer.
"Many of these children are experiencing distress, anxiety, become depressed and isolated, they fall behind at school and are often labelled ‘difficult'."
Dr Victoria Cooper, co-author of the research report said: "Despite it being widely recognised that intervention and targeted support is the best way to help young people in this situation, there is limited provision across the UK which is inconsistent and lacking direction from government policy."