Home care received by one of the spouses due to a chronic illness or a disability would have harmful consequences for the couple. This is especially true when it is the man who receives this care.
In France, between 8 and 11 million French people are now helping someone close to them. Among them, a majority of spouses who provide care at home to their partner suffering from a disability or chronic illness requiring constant attention.
A new study conducted by the University of Michigan and Daegu University in South Korea, published in the Journal of Social Personal Relationshipsfocused on these couples where the equitable relationship between spouses gave way, with the onset of the disease, to a change in roles and responsibilities.
If we are to believe the results of the study, this change in the dynamics within the couple is poorly perceived, both by the patient and by his/her helping spouse. However, the toll seems heavier for husbands who receive care, compared to wives: they are, according to the researchers, more vulnerable to negative exchanges, such as criticism or disappointment, and also feel more guilt at the idea of being a “weight” for their partner.
The feeling of being a burden
To reach this conclusion, the researchers used data comparing three groups: first, a group of couples not providing or receiving care; a group of couples in which the husbands received care from their wives; and finally a group of couples in which the women received care from their husbands. A total of 3,500 couples were recruited, with at least one spouse over the age of 51.
Analyzing the data collected, the researchers found that, compared to husbands who received no care or those who provided care to their wives, husbands who received home care had more depressive symptoms. They say this may be because negative reactions from spouses make husbands feel like they are a burden.
The perception of the caregiver role reflects inequalities within the couple
Helping husbands, on the other hand, do not experience any depressive symptoms. And for good reason. “Because spousal caregiving is not a traditional role for husbands, caregiver husbands often receive affirmation” as well as praise from others, says Minyoung Kwak, lead author of the works.
Among caring spouses, the results show that there is no significant impact of the care they provide to their husband on a possible depressive state. “Because of wives’ long-standing habits of caring for the family throughout marriages, the care they provide may not result in significant differences in exacerbating inequitable relationships between marriages. wives”, continues Professor Kwak.
In other words: caring wives are less likely to experience the negative effects of this unfair relationship with their husbands because they have already lived and performed caring roles in their marriage, even before having to care for them fully. time of their sick spouse.
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