Pulgaron Elizabeth R, Llano Gabriella, Guevara Gabriela, LaMarca Tara Kenworthy, Wurm Gwen, Gwynn Lisa, Siskowski Connie, Belkowitz Julia
Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami Miller, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Holtz Children's Hospital, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Jan 28;13(3):255. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13030255.
Background/ Objectives: Despite the high estimated prevalence and the documented impact of caregiving on children, there is no systematic process to identify or study caregiving youth in the healthcare setting. The aim of this study was to pilot screening in school-based clinics to identify caregiving youth and their associated mental health outcomes.
From March 2021 to March 2022, ninth- to twelfth-grade students were surveyed regarding caregiving and validated mental health screeners during intake at three Title 1 school-based health clinics in Miami, FL.
Thirty-nine percent of participants self-identified as caregivers. The most common caregiving tasks were cleaning (n = 20, 50%), keeping company (n = 19, 48%), shopping/cooking (n = 14, 35%), dressing (n = 13, 33%), mobility support (n = 12, 30%), and medical support (n = 11, 28%). Compared to their non-caregiving counterparts, caregiving youth had higher scores on mental health screeners, and caregivers were more likely to endorse clinically significant levels of depression ( = 0.050).
Screening in the healthcare system was effective at identifying caregiving youth in school-based clinics whose mental health may be impacted by caregiving responsibilities. Pediatricians should actively screen for both caregiving and mental health concerns. Future studies are needed to ensure the caregiving screening tool is reliable and valid for broad-scale provider use.
背景/目的：尽管据估计照顾他人的情况很普遍，且已有文献记载其对儿童的影响，但在医疗环境中尚无系统的流程来识别或研究从事照顾他人工作的青少年。本研究的目的是在学校诊所进行试点筛查，以识别从事照顾他人工作的青少年及其相关的心理健康结果。
2021年3月至2022年3月，对佛罗里达州迈阿密市三所一级学校诊所的九年级至十二年级学生在就诊时进行了关于照顾他人情况和经过验证的心理健康筛查。
39%的参与者自我认定为照顾者。最常见的照顾任务是清洁（n = 20，50%）、陪伴（n = 19，48%）、购物/做饭（n = 14，35%）、穿衣（n = 13，33%）、行动支持（n = 12，30%）和医疗支持（n = 11，28%）。与不从事照顾他人工作的同龄人相比，从事照顾他人工作的青少年在心理健康筛查中的得分更高，且照顾者更有可能认可具有临床意义的抑郁水平（P = 0.050）。
在医疗系统中进行筛查有效地识别了学校诊所中从事照顾他人工作的青少年，他们的心理健康可能受到照顾责任的影响。儿科医生应积极筛查照顾他人情况和心理健康问题。未来需要开展研究，以确保照顾他人情况筛查工具对广大医疗服务提供者来说可靠且有效。
