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Are the gender gaps in informal caregiving intensity and burden closing due to the COVID‐19 pandemic? Evidence from the Netherlands

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  • Klara Raiber
  • Ellen Verbakel

Abstract

This research note presents the findings of changes in the gender gap in informal care provision and caregiver burden during the Spring 2020 COVID‐19 lockdown in the Netherlands. Government measures in response to the pandemic strongly restricted informal caregivers in providing help and care to persons with health‐related needs. At the same time, formal care was scaled back and informal caregivers' urge to help their loved ones was likely higher than before the pandemic. Generally, women pick up a larger share of informal care and experience more caregiver burden. We assessed whether the COVID‐19 pandemic affected the gender gaps in informal caregiving by analyzing unique data on Dutch informal caregivers (N = 1672 caregiving situations in 1196 respondents). Results showed that women, compared to men, were more likely to have stopped and reduced caregiving, but also to have cared more during the pandemic. Moreover, based on longitudinally comparing levels during and before the lockdown, we found that the gender gap in caregiver burden narrowed down, especially because burden decreased for women. This means that the caregiver burden was more equally distributed among women and men during the Spring 2020 COVID‐19 lockdown than before.

Suggested Citation

  • Klara Raiber & Ellen Verbakel, 2021. "Are the gender gaps in informal caregiving intensity and burden closing due to the COVID‐19 pandemic? Evidence from the Netherlands," Gender, Work and Organization, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 1926-1936, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:gender:v:28:y:2021:i:5:p:1926-1936
    DOI: 10.1111/gwao.12725
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Martin Pinquart & Silvia Sörensen, 2006. "Gender Differences in Caregiver Stressors, Social Resources, and Health: An Updated Meta-Analysis," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 61(1), pages 33-45.
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    1. Hashemi, Hossein & Rajabi, Reza & Brashear-Alejandro, Thomas G., 2022. "COVID-19 research in management: An updated bibliometric analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 795-810.
    2. Klara Raiber & Ellen Verbakel & Alice Boer, 2022. "Testing the informal care model: intrapersonal change in care provision intensity during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1287-1300, December.
    3. Leonarda G. M. Bremmers & Leona Hakkaart-van Roijen & Eleonora S. Gräler & Carin A. Uyl-de Groot & Isabelle N. Fabbricotti, 2022. "How Do Shifts in Patients with Mental Health Problems’ Formal and Informal Care Utilization Affect Informal Caregivers?: A COVID-19 Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-16, December.

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