New research from the University of Zurich reveals that the longer people spend caring for loved ones, the more their well-being declines—regardless of the caregiving situation.
As informal caregiving becomes more common worldwide, it often brings significant changes to caregivers’ lives. But how does this responsibility affect their well-being? Past studies have been divided: some suggest caregiving can boost well-being by providing purpose, while others point to its emotional toll.
To clarify this, researchers analyzed data from 28,663 caregivers across three panel studies in the Netherlands, Germany, and Australia, resulting in 281,884 observations.
The Findings
The study found a consistent drop in well-being after people began caregiving, with declines across multiple areas, including life satisfaction, emotional health, and an increase in loneliness and anxiety. Women experienced these effects more severely and for longer periods than men.
“The results showed a decline in well-being in the years following the start of caregiving,” the researchers noted. “These declines were consistent across life satisfaction, emotional experiences, depression, and loneliness, and they were more pronounced for women.”
Time Matters
The time spent caregiving played a major role. The more hours individuals devoted to caregiving tasks, the greater the toll on their well-being, regardless of gender.
Interestingly, factors such as the intensity of care, the caregiver-recipient relationship, or whether the caregiver worked full-time had little impact on the overall trend. This suggests that the challenges of caregiving cut across different situations.
Not all caregivers report negative experiences. Some find a sense of purpose in their role, though this study did not specifically measure such benefits.
“While caregiving can bring stress, individual experiences vary,” the researchers emphasized. “There are other aspects of well-being, like finding meaning, that this study couldn’t fully assess.”
Policy Implications
The findings align with stress theory, highlighting the risk of declining well-being among caregivers, particularly women. Women often take on more intensive caregiving roles, especially for close family members, leaving them especially vulnerable to the emotional and physical demands.
The study makes a strong case for policies to ease the burden of informal care. Expanding access to formal long-term care or creating blended care models could help reduce the negative effects on caregivers while ensuring loved ones receive proper support.
As caregiving becomes an increasingly central part of life for many, balancing the well-being of both caregivers and recipients is an urgent policy priority.





