The paper “Linked lives and work-family dynamics: gendered workload, family support, and mental well-being among urban Chinese dual-earner households” by Meixuan Li, Lara Stas, Christophe Vanroelen and Deborah De Moortel was published in the International Journal for Equity in Health. The article is available here.
Grounded in the concept of “linked lives”, this study highlights the interdependence of spouses’ life experiences. Drawing on dyadic Chinese household data, it investigates how gendered workloads across public and private spheres, shaped by social, cultural and structural factors, contribute to mental health disparities between spouses and demonstrates their crossover effects within the family system. It further incorporates family support (from extended family members), a moderator that aligns closely with Chinese cultural norms, and confirms its stress-buffering role. These findings advance the understanding of gendered dynamics in the work–family interface and provide valuable insights for the development of family-friendly policy design.
Citation: Li, M., Stas, L., Vanroelen, C., & De Moortel, D. (2025). Linked lives and work-family dynamics: gendered workload, family support, and mental well-being among urban Chinese dual-earner households. International Journal for Equity in Health, 24(1), 312.
