In this project we analyze the impact of the provision of informal care on the well-being of informal caregivers in a cross-European perspective using SHARE data wave 5. We investigate whether caregivers are more burdened than non-caregivers and whether differences in life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression between caregivers and non-caregivers is smaller in regions with more formalized care arrangements.
The project is joint work with Martina Brandt. A first paper has recently been accepted for publication: "Wagner, M, Brandt, M. (forthcoming). Long-term care provision and the well-being of spousal caregivers: an analysis of 138 European regions. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences". We found that spousal caregivers’ well-being, measured in terms of life satisfaction, loneliness, and depression, was positively linked to the regional availability of formal care, which is partly due to higher perceived control in regions with more formal care provision.
