Comparing mental health predictors among child and older adult caregivers in Canada: A convergent mixed methods study

In an open access article for the Canadian Journal of Public Health, Kayla Benjamin, Fabio Robibaro, Jinri Kim, Nicholas Spence, and Erica Di Ruggiero analyze Care Economies in Context research data to investigate the impacts of caregiving on caregiver mental health. More specifically, the researchers compared mental health outcomes for caregivers who care for elders and for those who care for children, paying close attention to the specific conditions of care and their connection to mental health impacts. Ultimately, the researchers find that caregiver mental health across both childcare and older adult care is primarily driven by the pervasive experience of time scarcity, shaped further by gendered caregiving roles and distinct contextual factors, including financial strain, care system challenges, and limited access to respite. The article concludes with policy directions for improving caregiver mental health, such as
through flexible work arrangements, gender-responsive work policies, accessible and affordable care services such as respite, and targeted supports that address the gendered nature of caregiving.

Kayla Benjamin, Fabio Robibaro, and Jinri Kim are PhD students at the University of Toronto and Research Assistants on the Care Economies in Context Canada team.

Erica Di Ruggiero is an Associate Professor at University of Toronto, member of the Care Economies in Context Canada team, and co-PI of the Caring Across Generations research project.

Citation

Benjamin, K.A., Robibaro, F., Kim, J., Spence, N., Di Ruggiero, E. (2026). Comparing mental health predictors among child and older adult caregivers in Canada: A convergent mixed methods study. Canadian Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-026-01212-y

Abstract

Unpaid caregiving is a vital part of Canada’s care economy, with nearly half of Canadians providing care without remuneration to individuals who are dependent. Despite its prevalence, limited Canadian research has explored the mental health impacts across different caregiving contexts.

Objectives

This study examined conditions of care that predict self-reported mental health consequences among unpaid caregivers across Canada and compared these across childcare and older adult care contexts.

Methods

A convergent mixed methods design was used, leveraging data from two nationally representative surveys (N = 1997) and in-depth interviews with a subset of survey respondents (N = 102). Separate regression models were conducted for childcare and older adult care samples using caregiver mental health indicators. Results were merged using joint displays.

Results

Lack of leisure time and gender emerged as the strongest predictors of caregiver mental health across both datasets and care contexts, with women reporting greater mental health impacts of care than men. While paid care satisfaction and income were not significant predictors in quantitative models, qualitative data highlighted experiences of financial strain, care system challenges, and limited access to respite.

Conclusion

Findings underscore the need for public health policies and other interventions that address caregivers’ time constraints, gender inequities, and issues of availability or access to quality care services. This study makes a unique contribution by directly comparing childcare and older adult care caregiving experiences, highlighting both shared stressors and context-specific challenges within Canada’s unpaid care landscape.