The Impact of Employment on Canadian Caregivers’ Mental Well-being

Millions of caregivers experience mental strain from balancing caregiving and work responsibilities, yet there is relatively little research on Canadian caregivers’ experiences. The first aim of this study was to analyze the impact of employment status and work flexibility on caregivers’ mental health and stress. The second aim was to examine if caregivers’ mental health or stress varies by life-stage. The study used the life-course perspective and logistic regression to analyze the mental health and stress of employed Canadian caregivers ages 25 to 64 using data from the Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) cycle 32. Results indicated that caregivers working part-time were more likely to experience poor mental health. Caregiving in earlier life-stages was associated with poor mental health. In addition, work flexibility was associated with lower levels of caregiving stress. In conclusion, employment status and work flexibility had some impact on caregivers’ mental well-being.