Pictures of young caring

The aim of the study is to use photographic participation and elicitation methods with vulnerable children who help to provide informal care for parents with serious mental health problems. Children will be provided with disposable cameras in order to illustrate photographically their experiences of living with and caring for parents with mental illness (participation). Children will also be encouraged to talk about the photographs they have taken (elicitation). It is hoped that the research will enable children to participate more directly in research and that the usefulness of photographic participation and elicitation techniques among these groups of vulnerable children will also be tested. A further aim of the study is to provide deeper insight into the young caring experience and the nature of caring and parent-child relationships when parents have serious mental health problems. Such data may prove useful in terms of informing current UK health and social care policy and practice.