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.

中文翻译：

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父母疾病下青少年看护的三方模型的检验

摘要

目的

这项研究通过测试Pakenham和Cox提出的青年护理的三方模型，完善了青年护理的概念，其中包括护理责任，经验和任务。我们还通过检查三个青年护理组成部分对青年适应成果的独特和共同贡献，研究了该模型的收敛有效性。

设计

共有11至24岁的681名意大利青年，325名年轻护老者和356名非护老者参加了横断面研究。

主要观察指标

参与者完成了一份问卷调查表，以评估人口统计资料，青年护理和心理社会适应情况。

结果

验证性因素分析显示，与一因素模型相比，三因素青年看护模型更适合年轻护老者和非护老者亚组的数据。这三个青年保育组成部分预测了青年适应的变化。照料经验是青年调整较差的最有力的预测因素，而照料任务则预测了在不同的青年照护环境中两个青年调整结果的改善。

结论

研究结果支持了青少年护理的三因素模型的有效性，表明护理责任，经验和任务代表了经验上截然不同但相关的青少年护理组成部分。干预措施应减轻不良影响，并培养青年看护的积极作用。