Parent Carer Health

Author: Bringing Us Together

Last summer Debs, one of the Directors of Bringing Us Together and a parent carer to three children with a range of special education needs and disabilities, found herself ill throughout the school holidays. The last few months of the school year had seen many stressful situations arise and they all took their toll. 

Initially, Debs didn’t talk about it on social media but towards the end of summer, she did. She was amazed at the response. Several parents commented, or messaged her privately, to say they too were experiencing ill health they believed to be due to their parent carer role. Sadly, many of them had not shared on social media as they were concerned they would be seen to be not coping or believed that others had it much worse and were apparently coping fine so they would be seen as a failure.

Being a parent carer brings many challenges. The challenges are often not in being a parent but in being a carer and having to work with a system that is difficult to navigate.

These challenges bring stress, anxiety and can bring on depression.

Bringing Us Together decided to ask parents if they had experienced ill health they believed to be a result of their parent carer role. Almost 1,100 parent carers responded.

The results of that survey have been published in a free report (pdf) which is available to read and download in your browser, link below.

To find out more about Bringing Us Together and to get involved visit: http://bringingustogether.org.uk/get-involved/

The publisher is Bringing us Together.

Parent Carer Health © Bringing Us Together 2016.

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