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In more than 35 countries, women perform three times as much unpaid care work as men. The mental load that comes with household labor and familial responsibilities is linked to greater risks of poor mental health. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, 40% to 70% of family caregivers show symptoms of depression, with 25% to 50% meeting the criteria for major depression. Studies show that the time-consuming and physically demanding nature of care work is linked to stress and anxiety. High-earning women often can afford to hire others to do the care work that would otherwise fall on them, including childcare, cooking, cleaning, and laundry; poor women rarely have this luxury. Consequently, low-income women are burdened with more domestic tasks and therefore experience higher rates of poor mental health. 

THE IMPACT OF CARE WORK ON MENTAL HEALTH
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