Abstract
Abstract
The three-way intersection of gender, relationship-to-care-recipient and care-giving demands has not, to our knowledge, been examined in relation to the wellbeing of family care-givers. We explore inequalities in depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, comparing wives, husbands, daughters and sons providing very-intensive care (36+ hours/week) with those providing less care and disparities between these groups in the factors related to disadvantage. Data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (N = 5,994) support the existence of differences between the groups. Very-intensive care-giving wives report the most depressive symptoms and lowest life satisfaction; less-intensive care-giving sons report the fewest depressive symptoms, and less-intensive care-giving daughters report the highest life satisfaction. However, group differences in life satisfaction disappear among very-intensive care-givers. Drawing on Intersectionality and Stress Process theories, data from regression analyses reveal a non-significant gender–relationship–demand interaction term, but, health, socio-economic and social support resources play a strong mediating role between care demand and wellbeing. Analyses of the eight groups separately reveal diversity in the care-giving experience. Among less-intensive care-givers, the mediating role of resources remains strong even as differences are evident. Among very-intensive care-givers, the role of resources is less and differences in wellbeing between the groups are magnified. Policy implications emphasise the imperative to personalise services to meet the varied needs of care-givers.
Funder
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Insight Grants program
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Geriatrics and Gerontology,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous),Social Psychology,Health (social science)
Cited by
1 articles.
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