Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39396955›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

The roles of employment status and income in the mental health of informal caregivers in Germany.

Julia-Sophia Scheuermann, Anna Pendergrass, Katharina Diehl, Raphael M Herr

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Julia-Sophia ScheuermannCentre for Health Services Research in Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. julia-sophia.scheuermann@uk-erlangen.de.ORCID 0000-0001-5764-346X
Anna PendergrassCentre for Health Services Research in Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Uniklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-2492-0229
Katharina DiehlProfessorship of Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054, Erlangen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5408-652X
Raphael M HerrProfessorship of Epidemiology and Public Health, Department of Medical Informatics, Biometry and Epidemiology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054, Erlangen, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-0079-2792

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInformal caregivers often experience multiple negative consequences as a result of the informal care they provide. Among other factors, employment status, financial resources, and mental health are related to informal caregiving. This analysis examined the association between informal caregivers' employment status and their mental health, as well as the moderating effect of net household income on this relationship.

methodsThe research question was addressed with data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) survey, comprising 3,053 informal caregivers (1,007 male; 2,046 female). Data were obtained through self-reports, and mental health was measured with the Summary Scale Mental Score. Stepwise adjusted multiple linear regression models were used to examine the association between employment status and mental health. The moderating effects were tested with interaction terms. All analyses were also stratified for gender.

resultsInformal caregivers with full-time jobs reported better mental health than unemployed or marginally employed caregivers (β = 0.077, p < 0.001). The significant interaction term for full-time (β=-0.066, p = 0.001) and part-time workers (β=-0.066, p = 0.003) indicated a moderating effect of net household income on the association between employment status and mental health. This finding was especially evident in women.

conclusionsEmployment appears to be a relevant protective factor for informal caregivers' mental health. However, if informal caregivers are not employed, a low net household income might additionally restrict their mental health. Therefore, welfare policy structures must be created to reduce the negative financial consequences for informal caregivers and enable them to achieve work-life-care balance.

Indexed as

CaregiversEmploymentIncomeMental HealthAdultAgedFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedEmploymentInformal caregivingMental healthNet household income

Identifiers

PMID39396955
PMCPMC11472450

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.