The number of Young Carers, especially infants of addicts, has been widely underestimated independent of age, sex and nationality - yet they bear the same responsibility and take care of the same tasks as other caring relatives. However an increasing number of publications has increased awareness of this situation among caring children and teenagers, mainly in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Even so, the estimated number of unreported cases is still high. The consequences of overshooting their limits for the development of Young Carers must not be ignored. This paper addresses the research question on how children and adolescents experience life with substance-dependent parents, on the one hand, and both long and medium-term effects on these Young Carers, on the other. In addition, the paper discusses opportunities to enhance resilience and safeguards. |