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Informal Care Provision and the Reduction of Economic Activity Among Mid-Life Carers in Great Britain – A Mixed-Methods Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2021

Athina Vlachantoni Open the ORCID record for Athina Vlachantoni [Opens in a new window] ,
Ning Wang Open the ORCID record for Ning Wang [Opens in a new window] ,
Zhixin Feng Open the ORCID record for Zhixin Feng [Opens in a new window]  and
Jane Falkingham Open the ORCID record for Jane Falkingham [Opens in a new window]
Athina Vlachantoni
Affiliation:
Centre for Research on Ageing and the ESRC Centre for Population Change, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. E-mail: a.vlachantoni@soton.ac.uk
Ning Wang
Affiliation:
School of Social and Public Administration, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China. E-mail: ningwang0417@outlook.com
Zhixin Feng
Affiliation:
School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China. E-mail: frankfengs@outlook.com
Jane Falkingham
Affiliation:
ESRC Centre for Population Change, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. E-mail: j.c.falkingham@soton.ac.uk
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Abstract

Informal care provision is an integral part of the long-term care system. However, it has been shown to have negative effects on the carers’ economic activity, and understanding the mechanisms behind this is crucial for social policy design. This study provides new insight into mid-life carers’ decisions to reduce their economic activity through a convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative analysis of a sample of 2,233 carers aged fifty from the National Child Development Study (NCDS) Wave 8 with follow up at age fifty-five, and qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews of forty-eight carers between 2008-2010, were used. The combined results indicate that being female, single never married, having financial issues, being an employee, and frequently meeting a parent are associated with economic activity reduction; the carers’ own perspectives further elucidate key factors, such as their value and identity, family structure, life course events, and care intensity, which affect their decisions.

Keywords

Informal parental caremidlifeeconomic activitymixed-methodsNational Child Development Study

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