Association Between Youth Who Are Caregivers and Depression: The Mediating Role of Social Support

ABSTRACT Background Youth who are caregivers (called young caregivers [YCs]) take more responsibility than is typically expected of their peers. We investigated the association between individuals' roles as YCs and depressive symptoms and school engagement, and whether social support mediated the YCs–depression relationship. Methods We utilized data from a school questionnaire survey conducted in 2021 among 15,145 adolescents aged 10–15 years from 73 public schools in a municipality in Tokyo, Japan (response rate: 94%). Modified Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to investigate the association between YCs and depression or poor school engagement, adjusting for confounders. We also assessed the mediating effect of social support between being a YC and depressive symptoms. Results YCs were significantly associated with an increased risk of depression (risk ratio 2.31; 95% confidence interval: 1.75, 3.07). The association between being a YC and depression was partly mediated by social support and interactions. Furthermore, being a YC was associated with an increased risk of poor school engagement. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity These findings highlight the need for school health systems to identify and support often‐invisible YCs. Conclusions Being a YC was associated with depression. Social support may mediate this association.