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This study investigates whether there are differences in quality of life—i.e., psychosomatic complaints and life satisfaction—between schoolchildren with and without a chronically ill or disabled parent at home. It also examines the role played by the intensity of tasks, life circumstances, and social support at home and school. In 2017, a Dutch representative sample of adolescents aged between 12 and 16 (from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study) completed a questionnaire about illness of family members, tasks at home, life circumstances and characteristics, social support, psychosomatic complaints and life satisfaction. In total, 5470 schoolchildren who did not have a parent with a chronic illness and 652 who did have a parent with a chronic illness were selected (average age 13.9). Stepwise multilevel logistic regression analyses in STATA were used. Schoolchildren with an ill parent had more psychosomatic complaints and lower life satisfaction than their counterparts without an ill parent, even when controlling for extra task hours, specific life circumstances and characteristics (e.g., more likely to be growing up in a single-parent family or stepfamily and more likely to be female), and lower perceived support. These aspects are also predictors of a lower quality of life. Professionals should address these aspects of the life of schoolchildren with a sick parent in such a way that they are facilitated to make a successful transition to adulthood.

In this report, we investigate the quality of life of schoolchildren who are living with a longterm sick relative at home, by comparing them with their peers who are not in this situation. We hereby consider young people’s background characteristics (e.g. household affluence, growing up in a single-parent family) and support from their social network (e.g. at home or at school). As regards the care situation, our data do not allow us to distinguish between different types of illnesses of the family member, nor their severity. We devote particular attention to the time spent by schoolchildren performing tasks at home; if schoolchildren with a care situation at home devote extra time to tasks, we regard this as informal care. We assume that the perceived health, psychosomatic complaints, school pressure and life satisfaction of schoolchildren provide an indication of their quality of life.

In this report, we investigate the quality of life of schoolchildren who are living with a longterm sick relative at home, by comparing them with their peers who are not in this situation. We hereby consider young people’s background characteristics (e.g. household affluence, growing up in a single-parent family) and support from their social network (e.g. at home or at school). As regards the care situation, our data do not allow us to distinguish between different types of illnesses of the family member, nor their severity. We devote particular attention to the time spent by schoolchildren performing tasks at home; ifschoolchildren with a care situation at home devote extra time to tasks, we regard this as informal care. We assume that the perceived health, psychosomatic complaints, school pressure and life satisfaction of schoolchildren provide an indication of their quality of life.

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.