The Sacrificed Children: Listening to the Voices of Former Young Carers Supporting Parents with Mental Illness

Numerous studies have indicated that parents who are affected by mental illness experience emotional/behavioural difficulties which can have major impacts on parenting and the child-parent relationship. However, research on the experiences of young carers living with a mentally ill parent and the adversity they face remains comparatively limited. This article reports findings from a qualitative and retrospective study undertaken with nineteen Taiwanese adults who were young carers of parents with mental illness to capture their entire childhood experiences. The study was guided by social constructionism with the aim to listen to the voices of former young carers and explore their sense of responsibility, their response to family and societal expectations and how these affected their lives. The study finds the young carers' sense of responsibility was grounded on the principle of filial piety, which greatly influenced young carers not only actively in response to the parent's needs but also in prioritising the parent's demands. Participants felt responsibility and sacrifice interwoven in the context of their lives. Implications for social services and policy makers are suggested in order to meet the needs of young carers and their families. This study explores the retrospective experiences of former young carers in Taiwan of a mentally ill parent, and how they perceived their caring responsibilities. The findings offer new perspectives on how their sense of responsibility was influenced by the value of filial piety throughout childhood. The participants experienced great difficulties in coping alone with parental mental illness during childhood, as well as the expectation of continuing to care for the affected parent in their later lives. The application of social constructionism to the findings helps us to better understand the way that service providers and policy makers can recognise young carers' roles, acknowledge their social needs and provide flexible care resources to young carers and their families.