The impact of gender and age on the caregiving experiences of adolescent young carers: Exploring gender intensification

Signorini, Rachel (2011). The impact of gender and age on the caregiving experiences of adolescent young carers: Exploring gender intensification Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.

       
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Author Signorini, Rachel
Thesis Title The impact of gender and age on the caregiving experiences of adolescent young carers: Exploring gender intensification
School, Centre or Institute School of Psychology
Institution The University of Queensland
Publication date 2011-10-11
Thesis type Honours Thesis
Supervisor Associate Professor Ken Pakenham
Total pages 96
Language eng
Subjects 1701 Psychology
Abstract/Summary Research examining the experiences of young carers of ill or disabled parents has increased greatly in recent years. However, few studies have investigated whether certain individual characteristics influence the caregiving experiences of young carers. Despite this, the gender intensification hypothesis (Hill & Lynch, 1983) suggests that gender and age may be important when considering caregiving amongst adolescent-aged young carers particularly. The first aim of the present study was to compare the caregiving experiences of adolescent carers to a comparison sample of adolescent non-carers. Guided by the gender intensification hypothesis, the study secondly aimed to investigate gender differences in the caregiving experiences of adolescent carers. The final aim was to examine whether gender differences in the caregiving experiences of adolescent carers increased with age throughout adolescence. Two thousand and sixty nine adolescents aged 10–18 years completed questionnaires which included the Young Carers of Parents Inventory. Four hundred and thirty of these youth were adolescent carers. Consistent with predictions, findings revealed that adolescent carers reported greater caregiving responsibilities, worry about parents, activity restrictions, isolation, and perceived maturity, compared to adolescent non-carers. Contrary to expectations however, male adolescents reported less choice in caregiving, as well as greater caregiving responsibilities and activity restrictions. Moreover, age did not moderate the relationship between gender and caregiving experiences as predicted. Implications of the findings for young caregiving and the gender intensification hypothesis are discussed.
Keyword Caregiving experiences of adolescents
Impact of gender and age

 
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