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Linked lives and work-family dynamics: gendered workload, family support, and
mental well-being among urban Chinese dual-earner households
#MMPMID41233841
Li M
; Stas L
; Vanroelen C
; Moortel D
Int J Equity Health
2025[Nov]; 24
(1
): 312
PMID41233841
show ga
In China, debates on achieving work-family balance have intensified with the rise
of the dual-earner model. Balancing paid and unpaid work is stressful for
dual-earner couples resulting in poor mental well-being outcomes for both
partners. While prior mental well-being research mainly focused on individual
associations, our study investigates associations of paid and unpaid workloads on
spousal mental well-being within married dyads. Moreover, given that family
support is an important resource in accordance with Chinese cultural and social
norms, we investigate the mitigating role of family support within this dyadic
relationship. Using coupled data from the Chinese Family Panel Study (CFPS) Wave
5, we employed Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) to explore crossover
mechanisms of multiple workloads (total, paid, and unpaid) and spousal mental
well-being. Mental well-being was evaluated by utilizing a scale for depressive
symptoms and for subjective well-being. We found that both genders' higher levels
of depression were border-significantly related to their own total workload (i.e.
the sum of paid and unpaid labour), yet spousal associations were unobserved. For
women, paid workload is negatively associated with subjective well-being while
controlling for unpaid workload. The moderation models revealed, for men, that
family support received from their wives' family attenuates the positive
association between workloads and depression. Our study advances our knowledge of
the gender dynamics influencing work-family balance and strengthens the rationale
for the adoption of family-friendly workplace regulations in China.
|*Employment/psychology
[MESH]
|*Mental Health
[MESH]
|*Social Support
[MESH]
|*Spouses/psychology
[MESH]
|*Work-Life Balance
[MESH]
|*Workload/psychology/statistics & numerical data
[MESH]
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