This is the first RfSC grant awarded to the University of Exeter and reflects the university’s growing commitment to research on social care. 

The development of the research was supported by a grant from the GW4 Alliance, a collaboration between the universities of Exeter, Bristol, Bath and Cardiff designed to support innovative research on global challenges. 

The current research team includes researchers from the universities of Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, and Southern Denmark, as well as four carer co-investigators who also contributed to the GW4 developmental work.

The NIHR funding will enable the research team to explore a range of factors that contribute to parent carer wellbeing, and will provide a powerful foundation for the development of better strategies for supporting carers in crisis. The funding will also allow the team to identify the factors that contribute to or protect against experiences of self-harm and suicidal thoughts, examine the everyday experiences of parent carers who have thought about suicide or self-harmed, and seek carers’ suggestions for research, practice, and policy.

Dr O’Dwyer, the study’s lead, said: “Caring for a child with a disability or long-term illness can be extremely rewarding, but it also takes a significant toll. Suicide, homicide, and self-harm have been largely ignored in the research on family care and, as a result, these thoughts and experiences are often misunderstood or overlooked by health and social care professionals. Understanding parent carers’ experiences is the first step towards better support for carers and those they care for.” 

Lisa Reakes, a parent carer for her 15-year-old daughter with an acquired brain injury, is a co-investigator on the research. She said: “I’ve been involved since the beginning, helping to shape the research and make sure it’s really addressing the needs and experiences of carers. The everyday life of a parent carer can be very challenging on multiple levels, a contributing factor to why so many carers have thought about suicide or self-harmed in one way or another. There are very few places where we can talk safely about these experiences. I hope this research will change that.”