Work–Family Conflict and Well-Being among German Couples: A Longitudinal and Dyadic Approach

Abstract

This study examines dual-earner couples to determine whether changes in work–family conflict predict changes in one’s own (i.e., actor effects) or partner’s (i.e., partner effects) health and well-being as well as gender differences in these relationships. Using data from 1,001 dual-earner couples in Wave 6 and Wave 8 of the German Family Panel survey (Pairfam), we found (1) significant actor effects for all outcomes, with stronger actor effects among men than women on mental health; (2) significant partner effects for life satisfaction and mental health, with stronger partner effects among men than women on life satisfaction; and (3) stronger actor effects than corresponding partner effects for life satisfaction and mental health. As work–family conflict has become a fact of life for many contemporary workers, our results contribute by highlighting the importance of using couple-level data and testing longitudinal crossover effects to provide a fuller understanding of such conflict’s health consequences.