Researchers in Japan have found that young caregivers who care for family members for extended periods of time are 2.49 times more likely to become depressed when performing such tasks at age 14.
The discovery follows a prediction by experts that the burden on young people to provide for their families will increase due to a rapidly ageing population.
Based on a joint study by the University of Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science published in the Journal of Adolescent Health On Wednesday, it emerged that people between the ages of 10 and 16 who provide long-term care for sick family members are at greater risk of developing mental health problems than people who do not.
