Social Heterogeneity in the Effect of Informal Caregiving for Older Individuals on Social Withdrawal

All over Europe, care responsibilities for older individuals fall on the shoulders of family members, particularly partners (usually wives) – with negative consequences on a range of outcomes, including psychological and physical health, loneliness, and social isolation. Among these consequences, and a key factor in leading to other negative outcomes, is the phenomenon known as ‘social withdrawal’: a withdrawal from social activities and relationships they previously enjoyed, following the time priority required by caregiving. Despite the extensive study of the caregiver burden, the socio-economic heterogeneity of its effects remains under-researched. Not all caregivers are equal, and we may expect the consequences of the care burden to be moderated by key individual/household characteristics connected with social stratification – such as education, income, wealth, and social class. In the present study, we aim to uncover socioeconomic differences in the probability and severity of social withdrawal among European informal caregivers using the Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004-2020). Operationally, we leverage health shocks experienced by the partner, such as heart attacks, strokes, and hip fractures, to estimate the effect of starting informal caregiving on reducing or stopping tout court to attend a range of social activities and meetings with close friends and relatives. We expect the effect to be stronger for more disadvantaged individuals, with limited possibilities to ‘buy time for themselves’ by purchasing services on the market. Preliminary, descriptive results confirm a strong social withdrawal effect of caregiving, even though it appears evenly distributed across the social strata. In conclusion, the present study advances our understanding of informal caregiving’s multifaceted and heterogeneous consequences.