Emotional state in employed caregivers of frail elderly relatives

Abstract

Introduction Research has long suggested that care giving can be a stressful role that adversely affects physical and mental well-being of those who provided care. The effects of combining work and care giving can be negative and may have different outcomes on caregivers. Objectives This study examined the effects of gender, kinship and work-related experiences on the emotional state of employed caregivers. Aim This study allows us to gain a better understanding of the influence of gender and kinship on the emotional state of working caregivers. Method We have carried out a cross sectional study on 81 employed caregivers of elderly dependent. Using multivariate analysis of covariance (2×2×2 MANCOVA), we examined the main and interaction effects of gender (male vs. female), kinship (spouses vs. adult children), and two types of work-related experiences (work-caregiving conflict and positive work experience; both of them with two levels: high vs. low) on burden, depression, negative and positive affect, and role overload. Results We found that women caregivers in this study experience higher levels of burden, negative affect, and role overload than their men counterparts. However, in the case of kinship, this variable has not been shown to be related to a worse emotional state on employed caregivers. Higher levels of work-care giving conflict were associated with greater emotional distress in caregivers. Regarding to positive work experiences, significant differences were only found in positive affect. Conclusion These findings suggest that gender is a central factor that influences emotional distress in employed caregivers in the two types of work-related experiences.