The Impact of Informal Care and Employment on the Mental Health of the Caregiver

Eberl, Andreas | Lang, Sebastian | Seebaß, Katharina

Abstract

This study examines whether informal caregiving has a negative effect on the mental health of the caregiver, taking into account additional burdens such as that of holding down a job. The analyses are based on the German Socio–Economic Panel (GSOEP). We estimate fixed–effects regressions of a measure of caregivers’ mental health (SF–12) on hours of informal caregiving, taking into account the relationships between the caregiver and the person being cared for. Our results show that hours of caregiving have a negative effect on mental health. Being employed for a few working hours only has a positive effect on the health status even in combination with informal care duties. An interaction of these factors reveals a positive effect on mental health.

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