IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v326y2023ics0277953623002794.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Heterogeneity in the mental health cost of caring for others

Author

Listed:
  • Portier, Camille

Abstract

Drawing on the stress process, gender theory, and social roles theories, this study examines whether the associations between caregiving and mental health reflect the heterogeneity in caregiving experiences. It explores whether differences in care circumstances (location and intensity of care) and caregiver characteristics (gender and relation to care recipient) impact caregivers' health. While previous research has looked at these factors individually, this study uses longitudinal estimation methods to examine their combined associations with mental health. Using British data from the nationally representative panel survey Understanding Society (N = 366,907), fixed-effect models are used to assess the associations between the location and intensity of care, the caregiver's gender, and the relation to the care recipient and mental health. I report differences in mental health between non-caregivers and caregivers, as well as among caregivers across different care circumstances. While the results highlight the somewhat unique nature of each care circumstance and its relation to mental health, they uncover some general patterns. First, caregiving is a stressful social role. Second, care intensity is a crucial dimension of variation in the relationship between caregiving and mental health. Third, the location of care interacts with care relations only for less intensive caregivers. Fourth, there is a gradation in the negative association between caregiving activities and mental health by care relations. Finally, female caregivers are more susceptible to role overload and role captivity. When the care act is more expected and normative, such as when caring for a spouse, there is no difference by gender in mental health. Yet, differences by gender are evidenced when the intensive care act is less normative. This study unveils nuanced patterns in the joint and unique relations between care circumstances, caregiver characteristics, and mental health, and underscores the importance of effective care support especially for spousal and female parental caregivers.

Suggested Citation

  • Portier, Camille, 2023. "Heterogeneity in the mental health cost of caring for others," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 326(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:326:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623002794
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115922
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623002794
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115922?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Stöckel, Jannis & Bom, Judith, 2022. "Revisiting longer-term health effects of informal caregiving: Evidence from the UK," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    2. Bharadwaj, Prashant & Pai, Mallesh M. & Suziedelyte, Agne, 2017. "Mental health stigma," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 57-60.
    3. Bauer, Jan Michael & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2015. "Impacts of Informal Caregiving on Caregiver Employment, Health, and Family," IZA Discussion Papers 8851, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Bom, Judith & Bakx, Pieter & Schut, Frederik & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2019. "Health effects of caring for and about parents and spouses," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 14(C).
    5. P.L. de Zwart & P. Bakx & E.K.A. van Doorslaer, 2017. "Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64? The health impact of caregiving to one's spouse," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 26(S2), pages 127-138, September.
    6. repec:wly:hlthec:v:26:y:2017:i::p:127-138 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Hirst, Michael, 2005. "Carer distress: A prospective, population-based study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 697-708, August.
    8. Emmanouil Mentzakis & Paul McNamee & Mandy Ryan, 2009. "Who cares and how much: exploring the determinants of co-residential informal care," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 7(3), pages 305-305, September.
    9. Suyoung Nah & Lynn M Martire & Ruixue Zhaoyang & Jamila Bookwala, 2022. "Perceived Gratitude, Role Overload, and Mental Health Among Spousal Caregivers of Older Adults [Find, remind, and bind: The functions of gratitude in everyday relationships]," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(2), pages 295-299.
    10. Bom, Judith & Stöckel, Jannis, 2021. "Is the grass greener on the other side? The health impact of providing informal care in the UK and the Netherlands," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    11. 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.
    12. Yeonjung Lee & Alex Bierman & Margaret Penning & Candace Kemp, 2020. "Psychological Well-Being Among Informal Caregivers in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging: Why the Location of Care Matters," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(10), pages 2207-2218.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Longobardo, Luz María Peña & Rodríguez-Sánchez, Beatriz & Oliva, Juan, 2023. "Does becoming an informal caregiver make your health worse? A longitudinal analysis across Europe," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 50(C).
    2. Signe A. Abrahamsen & Maja Weemes Grøtting, 2023. "Formal care of the elderly and health outcomes among adult daughters," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 436-461, February.
    3. Stöckel, Jannis & Bom, Judith, 2022. "Revisiting longer-term health effects of informal caregiving: Evidence from the UK," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    4. Zueras, Pilar & Grundy, Emily, 2024. "Assessing the impact of caregiving for older parents on caregivers' health: Initial health status and trajectories of physical and mental health among midlife caregivers for parents and parents-in-law," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 342(C).
    5. Sean Urwin & Yiu‐Shing Lau & Gunn Grande & Matt Sutton, 2023. "Informal caregiving, time use and experienced wellbeing," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(2), pages 356-374, February.
    6. Teo, Hansel, 2023. "The impact of a partner's nursing home admission on individuals' mental well-being," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 327(C).
    7. Le, Duc Dung & Ibuka, Yoko, 2023. "Understanding the effects of informal caregiving on health and well-being: Heterogeneity and mechanisms," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    8. Ludovico Carrino & Vahé Nafilyan & Mauricio Avendano, 2023. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Work on Informal Care," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(2), pages 424-455, March.
    9. Carrino, L.; & Nafilyan, V.; & Avendaño Pabon, M.;, 2019. "Should I Care or Should I Work? The Impact of Working in Older Age on Caregiving," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 19/23, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
    10. Abrahamsen, Signe A. & Grøtting, Maja Weemes, 2019. "Formal Care of the Elderly and Health Outcomes Among Adult Daughters," Working Papers in Economics 2/19, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    11. Urwin, Sean & Lau, Yiu-Shing & Grande, Gunn & Sutton, Matthew, 2023. "Informal caregiving and the allocation of time: implications for opportunity costs and measurement," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    12. Rellstab, Sara & Bakx, Pieter & García-Gómez, Pilar & van Doorslaer, Eddy, 2020. "The kids are alright - labour market effects of unexpected parental hospitalisations in the Netherlands," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    13. Marie Blaise & Laetitia Dillenseger, 2023. "Informal Caregivers and Life Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1883-1930, August.
    14. Costi, Chiara & Hollingsworth, Bruce & O'Sullivan, Vincent & Zucchelli, Eugenio, 2023. "Does caring for others affect our mental health? Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    15. Coe, Norma B. & Goda, Gopi Shah & Van Houtven, Courtney Harold, 2023. "Family spillovers and long-term care insurance," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    16. Eibich, Peter, 2023. "Instrumental variable estimates of the burden of parental caregiving," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 26(C).
    17. Marie Blaise & Sandrine Juin & Hélène Le Forner & Quitterie Roquebert, 2024. "I care, you clean? Gendered effects of informal care on couple housework and leisure time," LISER Working Paper Series 2024-05, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    18. Fátima Barbosa & Sara Simões Dias & Gina Voss & Alice Delerue Matos, 2023. "The Longitudinal Association between Co-Residential Care Provision and Healthcare Use among the Portuguese Population Aged 50 and Over: A SHARE Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-14, February.
    19. Bauer, Jan Michael & Sousa-Poza, Alfonso, 2015. "Impacts of Informal Caregiving on Caregiver Employment, Health, and Family," IZA Discussion Papers 8851, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    20. Bom, Judith & Stöckel, Jannis, 2021. "Is the grass greener on the other side? The health impact of providing informal care in the UK and the Netherlands," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:326:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623002794. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.