The Interplay of Work and Caregiving: Relationships between Role Satisfaction, Role Involvement, and Caregivers' Well-being

This study applied theory from the general work and family literature to the dual roles of work and caregiving, in order to examine whether level of satisfaction and time involvement in each of these roles moderate the effects of stress in the other role on well-being. Respondents were 118 employed women who were providing care to an impaired parent or parent-in-law. As predicted, greater time involvement in work was found to buffer women from the negative effects of caregiving stress. Satisfaction with caregiving and satisfaction with work were directly associated with better well-being, beyond the effects of stress in both roles. However, women who experienced high levels of caregiving stress and who were highly satisfied with work were especially vulnerable to depression. These findings illustrate the importance of examining the effects of caregiving stress on well-being in the context of work-related experiences.