Couples Cope Better with Disability and Health Shocks

Author: University of British Columbia
Published: 2009/12/28 - Updated: 2013/06/22
Topic: Disability Information (Publications Database)

Page Content: Synopsis Introduction Main Item

Synopsis: How individuals cope economically with disability and health shocks.

Introduction

Marital status plays a significant role in how individuals cope economically with disability and health shocks, according to a working paper by University of British Columbia economists Giovanni Gallipoli and Laura Turner.

Main Item

In their study, titled Household Responses to Individual Shocks: Disability and Labor Supply, the researchers examined data from the Canadian Survey of Labor and Income Dynamics (SLID) and found that in marriages, "main-earners" (typically husbands) tend to transfer income and compensate "second-earners" (typically wives). The second-earners, in turn, provide conditional time and care in periods of need (such as illness and disability of main-earner).

The insurance the second-earner provides to the main-earner in the marital contract serves as an important mechanism to help smooth out household income in periods of health and disability shocks to the main-earner; and as a way to support the future earning potential of the main-earner, according to Gallipoli, a UBC economics professor and Turner, now an assistant professor at the University of Toronto. Both Gallipoli and Turner are members of the Canadian Labor Market and Skills Researcher Network.

The researchers also find that the relative value of marriage changes in different ways for men and women as they age.

Men who receive bad shocks early in life may lose the insurance offered by marriage by being sorted out of possible matches in the early stages, according to the study. Marriages become more stable the longer the couple is together, and uncertainty is resolved. The long-term costs associated to health shocks are particularly high for main-earners in the early stages of their working life, because they imply a permanent loss of human capital and earning potential.

Other findings include:

"Low-risk" marriages, where the main-earner is in a low-risk health state, are more stable and encounter less renegotiation and termination of marital contracts at every stage of the life-cycle.

Men who are at high risk of receiving health and disability shocks value marriage early in life, when they are poor in both assets and work experience. As these husbands age, their gains from marriage decrease as "buffer stocks" of human capital and assets are accumulated and they become more likely to trigger a renegotiation of the marital contract. These later renegotiations are referred to by the authors as a "midlife crisis."

All men value marriage at the late stages of their working life as they approach retirement, and the end of their main-earner status, as well as during periods of high health risk.

Tips for the Newly Disabled

Coping with Illness or Disability

Explore Similar Topics

1 - - The NIMHD decision to name disabled people as a health disparity population is a monumental step in the right direction.

2 - - The European Disability Card aims to facilitate the ability to travel and access various services across EU member states, promoting inclusivity and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

3 - - Jalasa Sapkota, a writer, researcher and disability rights activist, covers important points on self-defense training for visually impaired women.

Complete Publications Database

Page Information, Citing and Disclaimer

Disabled World is a comprehensive online resource that provides information and news related to disabilities, assistive technologies, and accessibility issues. Founded in 2004 our website covers a wide range of topics, including disability rights, healthcare, education, employment, and independent living, with the goal of supporting the disability community and their families.

Cite This Page (APA): University of British Columbia. (2009, December 28 - Last revised: 2013, June 22). Couples Cope Better with Disability and Health Shocks. Disabled World. Retrieved November 7, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/couples-disability.php

Permalink: <a href="https://www.disabled-world.com/disability/couples-disability.php">Couples Cope Better with Disability and Health Shocks</a>: How individuals cope economically with disability and health shocks.

Disabled World provides general information only. Materials presented are never meant to substitute for qualified medical care. Any 3rd party offering or advertising does not constitute an endorsement.