Unseen or neglected? school educators' perspectives on identifying and supporting adolescent young carers in Pakistan: a qualitative study.

Authors

Muhammad Ateeb, Shahbaz Ahmad Zakki, Ijaz Ul Haq, Najia Zulfiqar, Kiran Rizwan, Sabahat Bibi

Published in

BMJ open. Volume 16. Issue 9. Pages e111930. Sep 18, 2026. Epub Sep 18, 2026.

Abstract

School professionals are key to student well-being, yet their role in identifying and supporting young carers (YCs) in Pakistan remains unexplored. Existing literature highlights limited awareness among educators but evidence from low-resource settings is lacking. This study aims to address this gap by exploring educators' awareness, perceptions and support strategies regarding YCs to inform context-sensitive school mental health interventions.
A qualitative study employing in-depth, semi-structured interviews was conducted between March and June 2025, following the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.
The study was conducted in public higher secondary schools located in the district of Haripur, Pakistan.
Thirty-three teachers, administrators and school staff were recruited through purposive sampling to ensure a diversity of roles, gender and professional experience.
Most participants (80%) were unfamiliar with the term 'young carer', though many had encountered caregiving students. Five core themes emerged: limited awareness shaped by cultural perceptions, informal identification processes, the academic and emotional burden experienced by YCs, insufficient institutional support and concrete recommendations for policy and practice. Educators expressed a strong willingness to help but cited a pervasive absence of training, policies and dedicated services as primary barriers.
Limited awareness and structural barriers hinder schools' ability to support YCs. Findings reveal an urgent need to equip school professionals with targeted training and pragmatic strategies to identify and support YCs, enabling them to transform their willingness into effective action.

PMID:
42760084
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Sep 2026.

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