How does caregiving affect one’s own well-being?
Informal care work negatively affects well-being. The longer and the more hours are invested in care work, the greater the negative consequences – especially for women. This is shown by a study of possible changes after the start of caregiving and during it. Surveys of carers from three countries (Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia) show that taking on a caring role generally has negative mental and psychosocial consequences. These consequences are particularly strong in the first two years after the start of caregiving. During this time, stress-reducing measures could be used to increase the well-being of caregivers.
The longer the care work lasts, the worse the respondents rate their life satisfaction. The effects are more pronounced for women than for men. For both genders, the more hours they spend on informal care work, the lower their own well-being.