The Cumulative Cost of Care: Caregiving Over the Life Course and Severity of Depression

Abstract

Caregiving research is typically well-contained within silos focusing on those who are actively providing care or based on the nature of the caregiver/care recipient relationship. Little research has investigated how caregiving experiences throughout the life course, regardless of the nature of the caregiving relationship, impact long-term mental health outcomes, nor how this might vary by gender. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between caregiving and mental health when considering care provided for others during various points in time, and how these outcomes might differ by gender. This research is positioned within a gendered life course framework. Using data from the 2013-2014 wave of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study (n = 3,288), a generalized ordered probit regression model (GOPR) was used to analyze gender differences in severity of depression related to current, recent, and past caregiving experiences, controlling for age, employment status, marital status, income level, race, and educational attainment. Results indicate that the accumulation of caregiving experiences over the life course is associated with increased symptoms of depression; however, statistically significant differences between male and female caregivers were not observed. Caregiving researchers and family practitioners should consider past caregiving experiences when developing research models and designing interventions to support informal caregivers and care recipients.