The Silenced Voices of Young Carers

Authored by: Saki Kuramoto

Art by: Amber Briscoe

As a three-year-old, she ran errands at the grocery store. She rewashed the dishes washed by her mother. She rarely had memories of her teen years with her friends. 

"I found myself being able to do all the chores that a mother would ordinarily do. [1]" 

This is the story of Yui Takahashi, whose youth was all about taking care of her mother with a brain disorder and her father with a physical disability [2]. Yui, now 22, has recently realized that she was a young carer. 

A young carer is an individual 18 or younger who provides unpaid care to family members with health issues such as disabilities, chronic illness, mental health, and substance use problems [3]. According to a 2020 study by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, 1 in every 17 junior high students in Japan is classified as a young carer [4]. 

Japan has a rapidly aging population and a shrinking working-class population. As the Japan Times notes, in the first half of 2024, 80 nursing homes went bankrupt [5]. Asahi Times warns that by 2040, Japan will face a shortage of 570,000 caregivers [6]. The lack of caregivers creates a domino effect, causing a hike in the prices of nursing homes, and making them inaccessible to the general public. Lack of access to affordable nursing homes leads to families turning to care provided by immediate family members as young as elementary schoolers. 

Many young carers grapple with emotional and physical burdens hindering their academic and social life at school. A study by Tokyo University and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science found that young individuals who are caregiving for long periods are 2.49 times more likely to develop depressive symptoms [7]. Individuals aged 16 and involved in long-term caregiving were 2.51 times more likely to inflict self-harm compared to non-caregivers of the same age [8]. 

Why is it hard for young carers in Japan to seek help? Japanese society has a cultural understanding of keeping and "solving family problems at home," discouraging individuals like young carers from seeking external help [9]. There are young carers who do seek help for their mental health by turning to other members of their family. However, many of these concerns are disregarded as being selfish and insensitive to what their family member is suffering through. In a study, 55 fifth-graders and 30 second-year junior high students identified themselves as young carers. Despite this, 96% of the parents of the fifth graders and 87% of the parents of the junior high students responded that their children do not fit the description of young carers [10]. The perspective of young carers differs between parents and children, indicating a misunderstanding in Japanese households surrounding the difference between young carers and helping out at home.

It is also imperative to note that although young carers have mainly been discussed in Japan, this issue is present worldwide. In a recent study, the Bloomberg School of Public Health estimated that 2.6 million Americans aged 15-22 are young carers [11]. Considering that many young carers are often unnoticed by the individuals themselves, the study hints at the possibility of a higher number of young carers than the estimation. Following a similar narrative, the European Parliament reports around 4-10% of children in the EU are classified as young carers [12]. 

Since the issue of young carers is multi-faceted and intertwined with socio-cultural factors, there is no one solution. However, recently in June, a revised law for young carers was passed in Japan, aimed to increase social and financial support for those falling into the category [13]. However, according to the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, over 80% of Japanese middle and high-school-aged individuals responded that they had never heard of the term young carer [14]. In a society where young carers themselves may not realize they fall into this category, waiting for young carers to seek support is an inadequate solution. For this reason, the government can begin by increasing support in the school environment, as often home obligations interfere with a young carer’s school life. Through an established framework of the bridge between students, school counselors, and young carer social workers, early detection of young carers and adequate support will be possible [15].

Your middle or high school classmate may have been a young carer, or perhaps you were one without even realizing it. With the responsibilities and pressure of young carers going unnoticed, these individuals must receive the help they deserve. By starting the conversation and spreading awareness, a more supportive environment for young carers can be created to help them thrive.

Works Cited

1. Woman opens up on long road to self-acceptance as a young carer in Japan. (2020, March 3). The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200502/p2a/00m/0na/006000c

2. Woman opens up on long road to self-acceptance as a young carer in Japan. (2020, March 3). The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200502/p2a/00m/0na/006000c

3. Kanehara, A., Morishima, R., Takahashi, Y., Koike, H., Usui, K., Sato, S.-I., Uno, A., Sawai, Y., Kumakura, Y., Yagishita, S., Usami, S., Morita, M., Morita, K., Kanata, S., Okada, N., Yamasaki, S., Nishida, A., Ando, S., Koike, S., … Kasai, K. (2022). Young carers in Japan: Reliability and validity testing of the BBC/University of Nottingham young carers survey questionnaire and prevalence estimation in 5000 adolescents. PCN Reports: Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 1(3), e46. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.46

4. The Ministry of Health, Labor, Welfare. (2021). Report and research on young carers. MUFG. https://www.murc.jp/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/koukai_210412_7.pdf

5. Kaneko, K. (2024, July 4). Over 80 nursing homes in Japan went bankrupt in first half. The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/04/japan/society/nursing-care-home-bankrupt/

6. Ayaka, K. (2024, July 14). Japan faces 570,000 care worker shortage in fiscal 2040. The Asahi Shimbun. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15346218

7. Benoza, K. (2024, July 11). Young long-term caregivers likelier to have mental health issues. The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/11/japan/science-health/young-caregivers-mental-health/

8. Benoza, K. (2024, July 11). Young long-term caregivers likelier to have mental health issues. The Japan Times. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/07/11/japan/science-health/young-caregivers-mental-health/

9. News Navigator: What are the “young carers” drawing attention in Japan recently? (2021, May 31). The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20210521/p2a/00m/0op/044000c

10. 90% of parents of children who self-identify as “young carers” deny it: Japan city survey. (5/172024). The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240517/p2a/00m/0na/007000c

11. Miller, K. E. M., & Wolff, J. L. (2024). Shining a spotlight on youth and young adult caregivers in a global aging population. The Journal of Adolescent Health: Official Publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 74(5), 863–864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.01.023

12. Goodger, S. (n.d.). The situation of young carers in Europe. Retrieved October 12, 2024, from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2024/754204/IPOL_IDA(2024)754204_EN.pdf

13. Japan enacts law to support “young carers” beyond 18. (2024, June 5). The Mainichi. https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240605/p2a/00m/0na/005000c

14. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (2021). Welfare, nursing care, medical care, and education to support young carers. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000780549.pdf

15. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. (2021). Welfare, nursing care, medical care, and education to support young carers. https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000780549.pdf