Scoping review uncovers six primary caregiving burdens among the sandwich generation across Asia, highlighting the prominence of mental strain and culturally specific intergenerational conflict.
The sandwich generation – individual who simultaneously has older and younger family members – is gaining increasing academic interest in Asia. This scoping review explores the diversity and intergenerational caregiving burdens of the sandwich generation. Guided by PRISMA-ScR, six academic databases (Google Scholar, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest) were systematically searched, yielding 67 eligible studies published between 1999 and 2024 in 16 countries across five Asian regions. The review identified various profiles of the sandwich generation, reflecting key social-demographic transitions in Asia. Six intergenerational caregiving burdens were identified: physical, mental, and financial burdens; social isolation; role conflict; and intergenerational conflict. Mental burden was most frequently reported, while intergenerational conflict emerged as a unique finding in Asian contexts and remains underexplored in prior reviews. Policymakers should recognize the diverse needs of subpopulations within the sandwich generation and design interventions that align with their unique burdens and sociocultural contexts.
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Thuy et al. (2026) studied this question.
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