Young Carers need a break. Here’s how we can help them.
- Aditya Akella
- Mar 13
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 29
Aditya Akella
Aditya is a 17-year-old student at St Paul’s School in London and a dedicated young carer from Kingston upon Thames. He looks after his younger brother, who has severe autism, ADHD, and is non-verbal. His personal experiences have fuelled his passion for raising awareness about disability and the challenges faced by young carers.
Committed to driving change, Aditya has spoken on prominent public platforms, including the House of Lords and the Old Bailey, as well as on podcasts and radio interviews with the BBC and other media outlets. He has also contributed to an international Japanese documentary aimed at reducing stigma and increasing awareness of young carers’ struggles worldwide.
An aspiring economics student, Aditya hopes to leverage his knowledge to shape policies and decisions that improve the lives of young carers both in the UK and beyond. His ultimate goal is to create a more supportive and inclusive society for those who dedicate their lives to caring for loved ones.
This week gave us all the opportunity to take part in Young Carers Action Day 2025 -organised by the Carers Trust to highlight the role of Young Carers in the UK. You may be surprised to learn that there are over 120,000 young carers aged 5-17 in the UK. Behind each and every one of those young people is a unique and deeply personal story: some may be supporting a disabled parent or sibling, some may be looking after a loved one with a long-term illness, or some may be helping a relative with an addiction. The types of responsibilities vary from carer to carer, and how they cope with their situation differs vastly. However, if there is something that young carers almost all have in common, it’s the need for a break - the theme of this year's Young Carers Action Day 2025.
At the outset, it seems like a very simple conclusion to make. Young carers spend a lot of what should be their free time on caring activities, from physical assistance to mental support to bringing medication on time. Whilst other children their age are using this time to relax, socialise and enjoy their youth to the fullest, young carers often feel that their “childhood liberty” has been somewhat compromised. Moreover, the impact on the educational achievements of young carers is rather significant, with young carers attaining nine grades lower that their peers in the GCSEs, and being 38% less likely to attain a university degree. This makes sense, given that young carers miss on average 23 days of school every year owing to caring responsibilities. Hence, when carers often talk about the need for a break, it is natural to assume that they simply just want time off their caring duties. However, when we take a closer look into the everyday lives of young carers, it starts to become apparent that the engulfing yearn for a break stems from a much more serious matter.
Before I delve into the intricacies, it makes sense for me to share my own personal experience as a young carer. I look after my younger brother, who at the time of writing this is 11 years old. My brother has been diagnosed with severe Autism and ADHD, the implications including being non-verbal, having little safety awareness, and being completely and utterly reliant on his family for almost every basic task. As such, my day-to-day responsibilities include feeding him, looking after his hygiene, keeping him out of harm’s way, constantly monitoring his activity, and trying to meet his garbled demands. Whilst I truly enjoy the brotherly bond we possess, I admit that at times it is extremely tiring, both mentally and physically. This emotion is common to every single young carer, despite differences in responsibilities, which brings me onto the overarching focus of this article.
It is clear that the need for respite and a physical break from everyday caring duties is necessary. However, the issues that young carers face are a lot more than simply looking after the person in care. Perhaps the most prominent setback that is common in the caring community is the mental fatigue experienced. Caring duties are often non-stop for a lot of young carers, and anxiety about the state and safety of the person in care is a paramount concern. In my case, for example, I am always wary about the safety of my brother, especially when we go outside or in crowded public areas. Yet the qualms of young carers (arguably) tend to be more about the future than even the current situation. After several years of caring, handling the needs of a relative/family member becomes second nature (though not necessarily easier). On the other hand, uncertainties and worries about the future security of our loved ones quickly becomes the most significant thought young carers experience. From my own personal experience, I am always concerned about how to support my brother when he becomes older. Questions I ask myself include how can I protect my brother from an intolerant society, how can I financially support my brother when my parents are older, how do I know who to trust around my brother, how can I manage my future relationships and family of my own, or even how can I regularly socialise and get out of the house?
The mental pressures placed on young carers are intense, and the situation becomes exponentially exacerbated when you understand that these worries are embedded into them from their early childhood. In fact, a study published in the National Library of Medicine concluded that young carers are more likely to report chronic mental health problems than non-carers. In the UK, 38% of young carers claimed they have a poor mental health condition. No young person deserves to experience the level of frustration and anxiety about such a grave matter, but perhaps the real injustice lies in the fact that these young carers often do not have access to the right facilities to support them effectively. I, for one, am quite fortunate to have had access to the Kingston Carers’ Network (KCN) and their Young Carers Project for many of my childhood years. I benefitted hugely from their support and activities such as the Young Carers Conferences they organise. Having opportunities to take a day off with other young carers in my area and relax has certainly provided the necessary respite I craved during caring fatigue, and it is clear to me that the other young carers feel the same way. However, I believe that the framework to give young carers a break can be taken to the next level by addressing the long-term mental tribulations they face. Instead of just giving carers a break from their caring duties, it’s important to give them a break from the persisting psychological struggles too. This can be implemented effectively by going against the status quo, which currently centres itself around a “one size fits all” approach from counsellors who offer little relatability to young carers.
Emotional support can only be attained if the young carer can relate to the person offering support. One solution is to establish a system wherein young carers who feel left out by their society and schools can talk to older carers. This would be beneficial because the common experience increases the likelihood for an open, honest conversation. Furthermore, a carer with genuine caring experience is likely to provide more relevant and empathetic advice, something which appears to be almost entirely unavailable. The advantage of this “buddying” system is that it can be implemented in schools as well as youth groups including KCN, making personal connections more accessible to young carers. The key thing to consider when implementing these types of approaches is reliability. Young carers experience a range of emotions more volatily than other young people, so the standard setup of one meeting every two weeks is ineffective. A better approach would be to enable young carers to comfortably seek advice at any given time, especially when their situation become overwhelming.
Another solution that may take us one step closer to giving carers a break from their mental struggles is to allocate regular activities during the school week which allow them to improve their overall wellbeing. For example, studies show that there is an approximately 20% to 30% lower risk of developing depression for those who participate in daily physical activity. Young carers may not have the time outside of school hours to exercise and improve their mental and physical wellbeing, so allocating certain slots during the school hours can help young carers develop a regular routine of self-care.
Overall, it is imperative that we continue to promote networks which provide occasional respite days for young carers, such as the KCN and other local projects. It is equally important that we consider mental breaks for young carers as well. Through buddying systems or providing wellbeing activities, young carers can alleviate their worries about the future of their loved ones. A break should not just be seen as a one-day relief, but rather an emotional support system that can encourage open conversations and actually tackle their long-term anxieties.
This article has been sponsored by the Psychiatry Research Trust, who are dedicated to supporting young scientists in their groundbreaking research efforts within the field of mental health. If you wish to support their work, please consider donating.
