Affiliations: Sprott School of Business, Carleton University,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western
Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Linda Duxbury, Sprott School of
Business, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2C 3R9. Tel.: +1 613
520 2600 ext. 2385; E-mail: Linda_duxbury@carleton.ca
Abstract: Objective: As the baby-boom generation moves towards middle age, and
their parents toward old age, the number of employees who combine care for an
elderly dependant and work will increase in number. These employees are "at
risk" of experiencing caregiver strain. This paper advances our understanding
of these trends by examining the relationship between caregiver strain and the
health of employed caregivers. Participants: Our study involved the
analysis of data from the 2001 Canadian National Work, Family and Lifestyle
Study (N= 31,517). Methods: MANOVA was used to determine the
relationship between caregiver strain and three situational factors: (1)
gender; (2) where the care recipient lives compared to the caregiver; and, (3)
family type. Regression was used to determine the relationship between
caregiver strain and mental health. Results: We found that caregiver
strain depends on gender, family type and location of care. Emotional strain
was a significant predictor of mental health. Conclusions: These findings support the need for organizations to expand their thinking around work-life
balance to include employees who have eldercare responsibilities.
