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A Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) research briefing published May 2008, looks at the experiences of children and young people caring for a parent with a mental health problem and highlights the potential that risks could be minimised through better support for parents and through forms of carer support such as befriending.

Befriending is identified as providing an opportunity for young carers to pursue leisure interests and improve educational achievement. Young carers identify the provision of befriending schemes to provide access to an adult who is not an 'authority figure' to enable them to follow an interest or enjoy time outside the home without guilt.

Other key messages include:

• Over one third of young carers provide care for someone with a serious mental health problem who is their parent or holds a parental role
• The high level of stigma attached to mental health problems may lead young carers to exclude themselves from social involvement
• The needs of young carers could often be better met by validating their input, concerns and skills
• The education system can play a major role by recognising the impact of the caring role on children and young people’s experience of education, and making appropriate onward referrals

Download SCIE Research briefing here