Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine if the introduction of a 2002 paid leave law in California had effects on the mental or physical health of family caregivers. In addition, the multivariate analysis focused on the role of marital status and family supports on caregiver health outcomes. The U.S. is considered to have the least generous paid leave laws compared to Canada, Japan, and other European OECD nations. Using nationally representative panel data from eight waves of the Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), we used a differences-in-differences approach to examine the empirical effects of a policy change. We did not find effects on caregiver mental or physical health as a result of California’s Family Rights Act. However, being married (−0.459, p < .001) and having a living brother (−0.216, p < .01) were both significantly associated with improved mental health. Although the multivariate analysis did not show that California’s paid leave law had effects on health outcomes, it revealed the critical role of family support on caregiver mental health.
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