Multiple roles and subjective well-being of middle-aged women who are caregivers of elderly people in Chile.

Women who fulfill many roles, particularly caregivers who fulfill other social responsibilities, risk their well-being. Using a nationally representative sample, we studied the association between being a caregiver to elderly people, performing other social roles, and subjective well-being in middle-aged women in Chile. Using ordinary least squares models, we found that being a caregiver was negatively associated with life satisfaction, which significantly decreased if the caregiver was also head of household. Economic and health conditions were also related to well-being. Thus, policies that improve the living conditions of the elderly and mitigate the role overload experienced by caregivers are important.