Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38439109›Full record

ArticleBMC psychology2024

The double-edged sword of becoming a caregiver: dynamic impact on four dimensions of well-being in Norway.

Fredrik Methi, Ragnhild Bang Nes, Vegard Skirbekk, Thomas Hansen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
10.2field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
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, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Are there longer-term costs of informal care? Understanding post-care wellbeing and labour market participation outcomes.The European journal of health economics : HEPAC : health economics in prevention and care · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
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  6. Review
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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Fredrik MethiDepartment of Health Services, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Postboks 222, Skøyen, N-0213, Oslo, Norway. fredrik.methi@fhi.no.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7091-0806
Ragnhild Bang NesDepartment of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7828-7863
Vegard SkirbekkCenter for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.
Thomas HansenDepartment of Mental Health and Suicide, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7529-9252
Norwegian Institute of Public Health · NO

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBecoming a caregiver can be a transformative journey with profound, multifaceted implications for well-being. However, existing research predominantly emphasizes the negative aspects of caregiving, paying less attention to the positive sides. This study aims to explore the impact of transitioning into a caregiving role on various well-being indicators, such as negative hedonic, positive hedonic, eudaimonic, and social well-being.

methodsWe use Norwegian panel data (2019-2021) and employ a combination of nearest-neighbour matching and a difference-in-differences approach to analyse well-being trajectories among new caregivers (n = 304) and non-caregivers (n = 7822). We assess ten items capturing the dimensions of negative hedonic (anxiousness, sadness, and worriedness), positive hedonic (happiness and life satisfaction), eudaimonic (contributing to others' happiness, engagement, and meaning), and social (strong social relations and loneliness) well-being.

resultsOur results show a general increase in negative hedonic well-being and a decline in positive hedonic well-being for new caregivers. These impacts are larger for caregivers providing daily care, compared to those providing weekly and monthly care, and for those providing care inside rather than outside their own household. We observe only minor differences regarding gender and age. Interestingly, we also notice neutral or beneficial changes for eudaimonic aspects of well-being; of note, caregivers generally experience an increased sense of contributing to others' happiness.

conclusionOur study reveals that adopting a caregiving role often leads to significant psychosocial challenges, especially in intensive caregiving situations. However, it also uncovers potential positive influences on eudaimonic aspects of well-being. Future research should explore underlying explanatory mechanisms, to inform strategies that enhance caregivers' well-being.

Indexed as

AnxietyCaregiversCluster AnalysisHumansLonelinessNorwayCaregivingLonelinessLongitudinal analysisNorwayPsychosocial well-being

Identifiers

PMID38439109
PMCPMC10913458
OpenAlexW4392380684

What OpenQuestion 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 OpenQuestion graph.