Giulia Landi1,2, Kenneth Ian Pakenham3, Elisabetta Crocetti1, Silvana Grandi1,2, Eliana Tossani1,2. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy. 2. Laboratory of Psychosomatics and Clinimetrics, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy. 3. School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study refined the conceptualisation of youth caregiving by testing the tripartite model of youth caregiving proposed by Pakenham and Cox, comprising caregiving responsibilities, experiences, and tasks. We also investigated convergent validity of the model by examining the unique and joint contributions of the three youth caregiving components to youth adjustment outcomes. DESIGN: A total of 681 Italian youth, 325 young carers and 356 non-carers, aged 11 to 24 years participated in a cross-sectional study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, youth caregiving, and psychosocial adjustment. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that compared to a one-factor model, the three-factor youth caregiving model provided a better fit to the data in the young carer and non-carer subgroups. The three youth caregiving components predicted variations in youth adjustment. Caregiving experiences were the strongest predictor of poorer youth adjustment while caregiving tasks predicted improvement in two youth adjustment outcomes in diverse youth caregiving contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the validity of a three-factor model of youth caregiving, indicating that caregiving responsibilities, experiences, and tasks represent empirically distinct but related youth caregiving components. Interventions should mitigate the adverse and cultivate the positive effects of youth caregiving.
OBJECTIVE: This study refined the conceptualisation of youth caregiving by testing the tripartite model of youth caregiving proposed by Pakenham and Cox, comprising caregiving responsibilities, experiences, and tasks. We also investigated convergent validity of the model by examining the unique and joint contributions of the three youth caregiving components to youth adjustment outcomes. DESIGN: A total of 681 Italian youth, 325 young carers and 356 non-carers, aged 11 to 24 years participated in a cross-sectional study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, youth caregiving, and psychosocial adjustment. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that compared to a one-factor model, the three-factor youth caregiving model provided a better fit to the data in the young carer and non-carer subgroups. The three youth caregiving components predicted variations in youth adjustment. Caregiving experiences were the strongest predictor of poorer youth adjustment while caregiving tasks predicted improvement in two youth adjustment outcomes in diverse youth caregiving contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the validity of a three-factor model of youth caregiving, indicating that caregiving responsibilities, experiences, and tasks represent empirically distinct but related youth caregiving components. Interventions should mitigate the adverse and cultivate the positive effects of youth caregiving.
Entities:
Keywords:
Young carers; caregiving responsibilities and experiences; caregiving tasks; parental illness or disability; youth adjustment
Authors: Giulia Landi; Kenneth Ian Pakenham; Mariagrazia Benassi; Sara Giovagnoli; Eliana Tossani; Silvana Grandi Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-05-04 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Giulia Landi; Kenneth I Pakenham; Silvana Grandi; Eliana Tossani Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-03-13 Impact factor: 3.390