{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,5]],"date-time":"2026-07-05T23:56:59Z","timestamp":1783295819183,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773187200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]],"date-time":"2026-03-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773187200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Health Expectations"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Young people living with Long Covid face challenges accessing health care and social support. Previous qualitative research in the UK has described the \u2018invalidation\u2019 of Long Covid illness experience. It has been said that there is a \u2018double invisibility\u2019 produced by narratives that minimise the effects of Covid\u201019 among young people, which combine with a generalised lack of awareness of Long Covid itself. In this analysis, we look beyond the well\u2010documented networks of online self\u2010help and advocacy to trace how young people navigate, connect and maintain multi\u2010sited alternative care networks to manage their everyday experiences of Long Covid.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We draw on the analysis of qualitative interviews with 54 young people aged 15\u201325 with long\u2010term health impacts from Covid\u201019, of whom 30 also participated in follow\u2010up interviews. The sample includes young people with multiple genders, who identify with a range of ethnic identities, and who have experience of neurodiversity or additional disabilities. Interview transcripts were analysed to identify key themes, in collaboration with a group of peer researchers who are co\u2010authors on this study.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We find that the informal networks that are navigated and created by young people play a vital role, but that they are also fragile. We present our findings across four themes\u2014how informal networks afford young people validation in different ways; the material differences informal networks bring to young people's lives; the work that young people do to build and maintain these networks; and the fragility of support networks. We show that informal networks are not simply identified and found, but that they are \u2018made to work\u2019 by young people who do the work that brings informal networks together and that holds them in place.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conclude that there is a need to strengthen the vital work of informal care that is done by young people, but that alternative care networks should not be seen simply as a means of \u2018filling the gaps\u2019 of inadequate care. There is a need to build infrastructures that properly integrate formal with informal care in direct response to young people's experiences of Long Covid.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Patient or Public Contribution<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This qualitative study was undertaken in close collaboration with community partners and co\u2010produced with young people affected by Long Covid, using participatory methods. Young people affected by Long Covid were involved in a series of consultations, workshops and meetings focused on the analysis of data and their development into project outputs, including as authors of this paper.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1111\/hex.70611","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T05:45:31Z","timestamp":1773294331000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Vital yet Fragile: Informal Networks of Support Among Young People Navigating Long Covid"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"29","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-5440-219X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zaira","family":"Clarke","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7160-2728","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hannah","family":"Cowan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tim","family":"Rhodes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Praveena","family":"Fernes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine London UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"A.","family":"Haines","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Peer Researcher  UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lucinda","family":"Leal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Peer Researcher  UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_12_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-024-03173-"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(24)01136-X"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2020.113426"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2024.116770"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ssmqr.2022.100207"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/hex.13518"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2023-080967"},{"key":"e_1_2_12_9_1","unstructured":"C.Leavey A.Eastaugh andM.Kane Generation COVID\u201019. 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