Beyond Time: Unveiling the Invisible Burden of Mental Load

Francesca Barigozzi (), Pietro Biroli (), Chiara Monfardini (), Natalia Montinari, Elena Pisanelli and Sveva Vitellozzi ()
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Francesca Barigozzi: University of Bologna
Pietro Biroli: University of Bologna
Chiara Monfardini: University of Bologna
Natalia Montinari: University of Bologna
Elena Pisanelli: University of Bologna
Sveva Vitellozzi: University of Bologna

No 17912, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: This paper introduces a novel, scalable methodology to measure individual perceptions of gaps in mental load—the cognitive and emotional burden associated with organizing household and childcare tasks—within heterosexual couples. Using original data from the TIMES Observatory in Italy, the study combines time-use diaries with new survey indicators to quantify cognitive labor, emotional fatigue, and the spillover of mental load into the workplace. Results reveal systematic gender asymmetries: women are significantly more likely than men to bear organizational responsibility for domestic tasks, report lower satisfaction with this division, and experience higher emotional fatigue. These burdens are underestimated by their partners. The effects are particularly pronounced among college-educated and employed women, who also report greater spillovers of family responsibilities than men during paid work hours. The perceived responsibility for managing family activities is more strongly associated with within-couple gaps in time use than with the absolute time spent on their execution, underscoring the relational and conflictual nature of mental load.

Keywords: time-use data; gender; time allocation; mental load (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 J16 J22 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-05
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