Association between substantial unpaid caregiving and psychological well-being among college students in Florida

Abstract

Caregiving is a common responsibility in the United States, and about 1 in 5 Americans provide unpaid care for older adults or family members with disabilities. Many adults also provide care for their children. Despite substantial evidence about the potential impact of caregiving on caregivers’ mental health, most studies focus on middle-aged adults. Less is known about how caregiving affects the psychological well‑being of young adults, particularly college students. This study examined whether spending substantial time on unpaid caregiving (11 or more hours per week) is associated with greater psychological well‑being among students. The study participants were selected using a probability sample and included students aged 18–30 years who were enrolled at a large public university in Florida. A total of 692 participants completed the 2025 Spring American College Health Association–National College Health Assessment. Overall psychological well‑being was assessed using Diener’s Flourishing Scale. Statistical methods included Kruskal-Wallis tests and a generalized linear model with a Gamma distribution, controlling for demographic and academic characteristics. Overall, 3.61% of students reported spending substantial time on caregiving. The overall psychological well-being score (mean and median) was significantly higher among students who spent substantial time on caregiving compared to those who did not (p = 0.0177). The model yielded a similar conclusion (mean difference = 3.82, 95%CI = 1.15:6.49, p = 0.0135) and resulted in additional significant differences in mean scores across several characteristics, including sexual minority status (p < 0.0001) and race/ethnicity (p = 0.0020). Findings suggest that spending substantial time on caregiving is associated with greater psychological well-being among college students. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms underlying this association and to examine whether these findings generalize to other populations.