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On tenterhooks with little sleep: the issues faced by carers of children with AD(H)D
Tim Marchant and Toni Payne
Carers' NSW
Contact Email: tim
carersnsw.asn.au
Family carers are among the most vulnerable groups in our society. They are demonstrably poorer, sicker, less likely to have jobs, and face higher costs than other citizens. In this paper we will present recent research, the first of its kind, carried out into one particular group of carers, carers of children with AD(H)D. This paper will examine the experiences of this group of carers, with specific consideration given to the impact of caring and the service and support structures which exist to assist them in their role.
Our findings indicate that the experiences of these carers are substantially similar to other carers, in particular to carers of a person with mental illness, but that they remain unsupported and unserviced. We contend that this group of carers exists in a policy nowhereland, between the boundaries of departments, somewhere between mental health services and disability services and yet with ties to other services of varying relevance. We further contend that allowing this situation to continue is a socially perverse outcome.
The recommendations emerging from the findings are geared towards ensuring that these carers, in common with other carers, are able to move towards greater social inclusion and social participation.
Paper
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Copyright © 2003 Social Policy Research Centre.
