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A recent study conducted by the Centre for Demographic Studies at the UAB and the Centre for Demographic and Aging Research (CEDAR) at the University of Umeå, Sweden, sheds light on the psychological toll that adult children’s unemployment can have on their parents. Titled The Impact of Job Insecurity on the Depressive Symptoms of Parents, the research quantifies the intergenerational effect of unemployment, confirming that parents of unemployed adult children show higher levels of depression compared to those whose children are employed.
This groundbreaking study, one of the first of its kind to examine how children’s job insecurity affects their parents’ mental health, highlights the ripple effects of youth unemployment on older generations. While it’s typically understood that parents’ economic hardships impact their children, this study reveals the opposite: the stress and economic strain on parents due to the unemployment of their adult children can significantly affect their well-being.
The research focused on 14,566 individuals aged 50 and over from eight European countries: Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, and the Czech Republic. These countries represent various welfare models—Mediterranean, Continental, Nordic, and Eastern Europe. The results of this study, drawn from the 2022 Survey of Health, Aging, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), present a clear trend: in most countries, parents with unemployed children exhibit more depressive symptoms than those with employed children.
Among the countries studied, Spain, Italy, Poland, and the Czech Republic were found to have the most significant levels of depressive symptoms in parents, with values exceeding the clinical threshold of depression. In contrast, Sweden and Denmark, which have stronger welfare states, showed less of an impact.
The study’s findings suggest that the burden of supporting unemployed children falls more heavily on parents in countries with weaker social safety nets, such as Spain and Italy, where families are expected to play a more substantial role in welfare provision. According to the researchers, “Parents may bear the additional burden of helping their unemployed children, especially in countries with fewer support policies for the unemployed.”
The study also delves into gender and education-related disparities in Spain. It reveals that mothers with unemployed children experience a significant increase in depressive symptoms compared to fathers. This is particularly pronounced among mothers with lower educational levels, as they face greater economic strain due to their children’s unemployment. On the other hand, parents with higher educational levels seem to be less affected by their children’s job insecurity, likely due to their greater resources and ability to mitigate the negative impacts.
In Spain, parents with lower educational levels were found to experience a 23% increase in depressive symptoms when their children were unemployed, compared to parents with employed children. This reflects a more pronounced economic mismatch that contributes to the mental health burden.
The authors of the study argue that this research opens new avenues for understanding mental health in older populations, urging for a broader approach that includes the influence of younger generations on the well-being of their parents. “In the context of population aging, intergenerational relationships may play a key role in understanding the social and psychological challenges faced by older people,” the researchers conclude.
Disclaimer: This study reflects the findings based on available data from 2022 and does not establish direct causality. Mental health issues, including depression, are complex and influenced by various factors beyond unemployment, such as genetics, social support, and personal experiences.
