Date of Submission
2021
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)
Department
Psychology
Abstract
Many young people younger than the age of 18 years are involved in providing care to family members who are unable to manage their own medical, physical, or mental illnesses. Youth caregivers are an understudied population in the United States. The small yet growing research base has illustrated the relationship between the caregiving role, academic performance, and an individual’s social and psychological well-being. Medical settings are uniquely positioned to identify caregiving youth and provide supportive resources. A survey was created and administered to pediatric health care providers who offered medical and psychosocial support to children and adolescents. Providers were recruited via email to participate in a survey examining their knowledge and perceptions of youth caregivers. The data were combined with archival data from another study. The results of this survey indicated that the majority of respondents were not aware of caregiving youth within their practices and that there are significant barriers to identifying caregiving youth within health care settings, such as provider attitudes, lack of a validated screening tool, and lack of supportive resources. The results of this study highlight the importance of increasing provider awareness as a means of increasing identification and support for caregiving youth in the United States.
Recommended Citation
Bliss, Brianna, "Pediatric Health Care Providers’ Perceptions and Knowledge of Caregiving Youth" (2021). PCOM Psychology Dissertations. 576.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/psychology_dissertations/576