Centre for Health Services Research in Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
Professorship of Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Oct 14;24(1):2802. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20252-y.
Informal caregivers often experience multiple negative consequences as a result of the informal care they provide. Among other factors, employment status, financial resources, and mental health are related to informal caregiving. This analysis examined the association between informal caregivers' employment status and their mental health, as well as the moderating effect of net household income on this relationship.
The research question was addressed with data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) survey, comprising 3,053 informal caregivers (1,007 male; 2,046 female). Data were obtained through self-reports, and mental health was measured with the Summary Scale Mental Score. Stepwise adjusted multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between employment status and mental health. The moderating effects were tested with interaction terms. All analyses were also stratified for gender.
Informal caregivers with full-time jobs reported better mental health than unemployed or marginally employed caregivers (β = 0.077, p < 0.001). The significant interaction term for full-time (β=-0.066, p = 0.001) and part-time workers (β=-0.066, p = 0.003) indicated a moderating effect of net household income on the association between employment status and mental health. This finding was especially evident in women.
Employment appears to be a relevant protective factor for informal caregivers' mental health. However, if informal caregivers are not employed, a low net household income might additionally restrict their mental health. Therefore, welfare policy structures must be created to reduce the negative financial consequences for informal caregivers and enable them to achieve work-life-care balance.
由于提供非正式护理，非正式护理者经常会经历多种负面后果。除其他因素外，就业状况、经济资源和心理健康与非正式护理有关。本分析研究了非正式护理者的就业状况与其心理健康之间的关系，以及净家庭收入对这种关系的调节作用。
利用德国社会经济面板（SOEP）调查的数据来回答研究问题，该调查包括 3053 名非正式护理者（1007 名男性；2046 名女性）。数据通过自我报告获得，心理健康通过综合心理评分量表进行测量。采用逐步调整的多元线性回归模型来检验就业状况与心理健康之间的关系。通过交互项检验调节作用。所有分析也按性别分层。
全职工作的非正式护理者报告的心理健康状况优于失业或边缘就业的非正式护理者（β=0.077，p<0.001）。全职（β=-0.066，p=0.001）和兼职工人（β=-0.066，p=0.003）的显著交互项表明，净家庭收入对就业状况和心理健康之间的关系具有调节作用。这一发现在女性中尤为明显。
就业似乎是非正式护理者心理健康的一个重要保护因素。然而，如果非正式护理者没有就业，低净家庭收入可能会进一步限制他们的心理健康。因此，必须制定福利政策结构，以减少非正式护理者的负面经济后果，并使他们能够实现工作-生活-护理的平衡。
