Health of migrant care-givers across Europe: what is the role of origin and welfare state context?

Abstract

AbstractAcross Europe a rising number of migrants are reaching higher ages. As old age is related to care dependency, care-giving within migrant families is becoming more important. To date, little research has focused on health outcomes for migrant care-givers. Theories and empirical evidence suggest differences in the relationship of care-giving and health between migrants and non-migrants due to differences in support, income, norms and values. Furthermore, across Europe the degree of formal care supply and the obligation to provide informal care vary considerably and presumably lead to different health outcomes of care-giving in different countries. Based on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (Waves 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6) and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (Waves 2–6), this paper studies the relationship between informal care-giving inside the household and health for migrant and non-migrant care-givers across Europe and analyses changes in health. In most countries migrant care-givers are in worse self-perceived and mental health compared to non-migrant care-givers. When controlling for important influences no differences in the relationship between health and care-giving for migrants and non-migrants can be found. Moreover, care-giving deteriorates mental health irrespective of origin. The country models showed that for non-migrants care-giving is most detrimental in Southern welfare states whereas for migrants care-giving is also burdening in Nordic welfare states.