Young Adult Caregivers and Subjective Well-being in Japan: The Results From the Survey on Satisfaction and Quality of Life

Informal caregiving can impair caregivers' subjective well-being. However, this issue has been overlooked among young adults. We examined the association between informal caregiving and subjective well-being among young adults in Japan. This cross-sectional study included 3496 individuals aged 18 to 29 years who participated in the Survey on Satisfaction and Quality of Life, a nationwide online survey by the Cabinet Office of Japan, between 2019 and 2020. Three aspects of subjective well-being were evaluated: life satisfaction, social relationship satisfaction, and health status satisfaction. Participants were divided into three groups based on their engagement in caregiving: "non-caregiver," "potential caregiver" (having a family member who needs care but the participants were not engaged in caregiving), and "caregiver." Consequently, 283 (8.1%) participants were potential caregivers and 53 (1.5%) were caregivers. Multivariable linear regression analysis revealed that compared with non-caregivers, caregivers exhibited significantly lower satisfaction with social relationships and health status, but not life satisfaction. These findings suggest psychosocial disadvantages for young adult caregivers, highlighting the importance of support for them.