Social norms (e.g., Stein et al., 1998) and reciprocity (Klaus, 2009) have been shown to predict support behavior of adults towards their parents. Therefore it is assumed that both generate an individual feeling of obligation to support. Embedded in the model of intergenerational solidarity (Bengtson & Roberts, 1991) the associations for social norms, received support by parents and individual feelings of obligation with given support especially emotional as well as instrumental, to parents by adults were tested. Also, the mediating function of feelings of obligation was tested.

The analysis is based on data from a German sample. Participants responded to a standardized self-report questionnaire to two measurement points at an interval of twelve months. The 172 females and 53 males were aged between 22 years and 51 years. 209 responded in regard to their mothers, whereas 186 provided information concerning their fathers. Of these 177 participants answered for both parents.

A differentiated view on gender displayed that adult children felt more obligated and supported their mothers more than they supported fathers. The analysis showed associations for support given by adult children with received support by parents and feelings of obligation. Felt obligation mediated the associations for social norms as well as received support by parents and emotional as well as instrumental support. Differences in the prediction of support for mothers and fathers were not observed.

All across Europe informal home care is provided between partners. Partner caregivers, however, experience an especially burdensome situation since such care is often not only very intense but also linked to losing the partner as confidant.

Different support policies have been established to prevent informal caregivers from social deprivation. It is an important open question how effective these policies are in reducing negative impacts of caregiving on informal caregivers’ health and wellbeing. The objective of this study is to find out how the provision of long-term care (LTC) in a specific region is linked with the quality of life, loneliness, and depression of spousal caregivers.

We apply a multilevel design with data from more than 24.000 Europeans nested in 130 European regions. Individual data is taken from the SHARE study (Wave 5 release 1) and regional macro indicators were retrieved from the OECD and national statistical offices. We find that caregivers state a lower quality of life, they feel lonelier and have higher levels of depression also when controlling for socio-economic factors. The complementary utilization of formal LTC goes along with reduced burden for the caregiver. When including a cross-level interaction we additionally find evidence that the number of LTC beds in a region is positively linked with quality of life and mental health of caregivers, signaling that caregiver burden is reduced by the availability of LTC beds.