Studying informal care during the pandemic: mental health, gender and job status

Joan E. Madia, Francesco Moscone and Catia Nicodemo

Economics & Human Biology, 2023, vol. 50, issue C

Abstract: Unexpected negative health shocks such as COVID-19 put pressure on households to provide more care to relatives and friends. This study uses data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study to investigate the impact of informal caregiving on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we find that individuals who started providing care after the pandemic began reported more mental health issues than those who never provided care. Additionally, the gender gap in mental health widened during the pandemic, with women more likely to report mental health issues. We also find that those who began providing care during the pandemic reduced their work hours compared to those who never provided care. Our results suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on the mental health of informal caregivers, particularly for women.

Keywords: Mental health; COVID-19; Gender; Job status; Informal care; Social care; Caregivers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I11 I14 J08 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:50:y:2023:i:c:s1570677x23000266

DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101245

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