Rosita Brolin

I am a postdoctoral research assistant in health science. I work in a three-year international research project: Psychosocial support to promote Mental health and Well-being among young carers in Europe - the "ME-WE project". Young carers are children and adolescents under the age of 18, who provide significant or substantial care, assistance or support to family members who have a disability, suffer from illness, mental health problems or other conditions connected with a need for care. They assume a level of responsibility that would usually be associated with an adult. The person receiving care and support may be a parent, a sibling, a relative or a friend.
My dissertation in caring science took place in 2016. Since then, I have been teaching psychiatry, ethics and research design, as well as scientific methods, in the nursing program and master's program for nurses. I have also been a supervisor for master's theses.
In my thesis, I studied the housing situation for people with psychiatric disabilities – from the residents' perspectives. During the data collection, I noticed how much responsibility children take when there is a psychiatric disability in the family. I have done the same reflection during my previous work as a nurse, when I have met families where a family member has physical or mental disabilities or illnesses. Through my work in the ME-WE-project, which started in early 2018, I have now the opportunity to study this area and work for the development of interventions to promote mental health and well-being of children and adolescents who take a caring responsibility for a family member or a friend.