"Caregiver burnout is often framed as a personal issue, a matter of "self-care." This overlooks the complex realities of culture, identity, and the unequal distribution of emotional labor within families and communities. For many caregivers, especially those from marginalized groups, exhaustion isn't a sign of personal failure, but a predictable consequence of chronic, unshared responsibility. Emotional labor encompasses tasks such as soothing, anticipating needs, managing conflict, and absorbing the intensity that can come from others."
"Studies on gender and household labor consistently show that women perform significantly more emotional and caregiving work, even when working full-time outside the home (American Psychological Association, 2019). Research on racial disparities in caregiving finds that Black, Latinx, and Asian caregivers often provide more hours of care and experience more financial and emotional strain (AARP & National Alliance for Caregiving, 2020)."
Caregiver burnout is frequently mischaracterized as an individual failing or merely a need for self-care, whereas exhaustion often arises from persistent, unshared responsibilities and systemic pressures. Emotional labor involves soothing, anticipating needs, managing conflict, and absorbing others' intensity. Women, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and first-generation adults disproportionately shoulder this labor and face greater hours, financial strain, and fewer supports. Gender research shows women perform significantly more caregiving even when employed full time. Racial caregiving research documents higher care hours and emotional burden among Black, Latinx, and Asian caregivers. Cultural norms and family roles shape these unequal expectations.
Read at Psychology Today
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