Young Adults Caring for Severely Mentally Ill Mothers

This research examined the psychological and social functioning of young adults who care for their severely mentally ill mothers. In doing so, the following variables were examined: coping style; perceived stress; quality of life; resilience; race; SES; support group participation; and household residence. This study found that young adult caregivers experience incredibly high levels of perceived stress and a reduction in their quality of life. These caregivers report high usage of online support groups, a new and unique finding. Such services seem to be of great comfort to this group. These results indicate that more family-centered support services should be created to address the unique needs of family caregivers. Young adult caregivers in particular would benefit from more online support services.