Double child and elder care responsibilities and emotional exhaustion of an older sandwiched generation

The mediating effect of self-care

Bibliographic Data

ID9974049
AuthorsSoo Jung Jang (0000-0002-0326-5464, Dankook University, South Korea, corresponding author), Dayoung Song (Incheon National University, South Korea), Kyungheun Baek (0009-0005-6865-294X, Incheon National University, South Korea), Allison Zippay (Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey)
Year2019
Volume64
Issue4
Pages611-624
Publication date2019-04-10
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Social Work (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0020-8728 • E-ISSN: 1461-7234
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0020872819833425
OpenAlexW2937115139
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited41

The number of informal caregivers over the age of 50 who care for multiple family members including children and elderly relatives – a practice termed ‘double care’ – has steadily increased in Asian countries. Despite the rise in depression and stress among such caregivers, few studies have examined factors that may mitigate their emotional exhaustion. This research examines relationships between care responsibilities and emotional exhaustion, and the mediation effects of self-care on people in their 50s through 70s who provide care to multiple family members including children and elderly parents or relatives. The participants of this study were 183 people who were providing double care. The authors used care responsibilities as the independent variable, self-care as a mediator, and emotional exhaustion as the dependent variable. Results indicate that care responsibilities significantly affect emotional exhaustion, and that emotional exhaustion is mediated by self-care. The findings suggest that attention to self-care may reduce emotional exhaustion among caregivers in this older age group

Burnout · Emotional exhaustion · Emotional stress · Health care · Mediation · Self care · Clinical Psychology · Employment and Welfare Studies · Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving · Medicine · Psychology · Work-Family Balance Challenges

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