Labour market and health outcomes in adults with a family member who has a chronic illness: the role of family characteristics and social services

For working adults, the likelihood of having a sick family member and the pressure for dealing with the diseased adult have been increased because of demographic changes, raised retirement age, advancement of medical care and limited health- and social care resource. The diagnosis of serious chronic illnesses in a family member causes substantial distress in relatives regardless of whether they provide actual care or not, and it adds roles and responsibilities to other family members while they still have to remain working. Using large Swedish national registers, the aim of the project is to examine the impact that a range of chronic illnesses of a patient have on employment and health outcomes in relatives who are working.