Supporting young carers in military-connected and Veteran families: Adapting the YCare protocol to Hidden Helpers

Introduction: Children and youth aged 8 to 18 years provide hands-on, often daily care for ill or injured family members, including military or Veteran family members with traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These youth, often referred to as young carers or Hidden Helpers, face complex challenges and social isolation with few interventions designed to enhance their caregiving knowledge and support their health and well-being. This study provides proof of concept for adapting the YCare program to support young carers from military-connected families. Methods: The YCare modules were created by families and providers, delivered by a trained interdisciplinary team that included physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, psychologists, social workers, and physiatrists. Pre- and post-survey data were gathered to measure demographics, care tasks, quality of life, caregiving impact, and confidence levels. Results: The adapted YCare program included youths (N = 17) aged 10 to 17 years. Following the program, participants reported learning new caregiving skills, including managing assistive devices and emotional needs, specifically identifying increased confidence in managing hyper-arousal of their family members with SCI/TBI and/or PTSD, and talking about their feelings and relationships with peers. Discussion: The findings suggest that the adapted YCare program is effective in enhancing the confidence and caregiving capacity of young carers as Hidden Helpers for military-connected families. The results demonstrate the broad applicability of the YCare program across young carer populations, both civilian and military-connected, including those caring for military family members with SCI/TBI and/or PTSD.