Comparative Welfare State and Cross-national Research
How do welfare regimes and social policies shape inequalities in health, income, and social participation across Europe? How do institutional structures influence aging experiences and social integration? This research uses cross-national data to understand the role of policy contexts.
Selected Publications:
Schmitz, A., Brandt, M., Levinsky, M., Wagner, M., & Cohn-Schwartz, E. (2026). Exploring gender disparities in cognitive performance in later life: The role of social participation across European welfare regimes. Social Science & Medicine, 394, 119070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119070
Schmitz, A. (2025): Parental education and income in later life: A comparison of social-democratic and conservative regimes. Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, 58, 458–465. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-025-02475-9
Levinsky, M., Wagner, M., Schmitz, A. et al. Introducing the Social Integration Index for Older Europeans: The Role of Gender and Care Regimes. Soc Indic Res 179, 759–779 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03635-5
Schmitz, Alina; Quashie, Nekehia, T.; Kaschowitz, Judith & Wagner, Melanie (2024): Inequalities in caregiving strain during the COVID-19 pandemic: Conceptual framework and review of the empirical evidence. International Journal of Care and Caring, 8 (2), 351-364. https://doi.org/10.1332/239788221X16592761870899
Schmitz, A.; Brandt, M. (2022): Health limitations, regional care infrastructure and wellbeing in later life. Social Indicators Research, 164, 693–709. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-022-02967-w
Schmitz, Alina (2021): Gendered experiences of widowhood and depression across Europe. The role of loneliness and financial resources from a longitudinal perspective. Journal of Affective Disorders, 380, 114-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.091
Schmitz, A. & Lazarevič, P. (2020): The gender health gap in Europe’s ageing societies – Universal findings across countries and age groups? European Journal of Ageing, 17, 509–520. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00559-6
Schmitz, Alina & Brandt, Martina (2019): Gendered patterns of depression and its de-terminants in older Europeans. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 82, 207-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2019.02.015