The impact of parent care on marital quality and well-being in adult daughters and sons

J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2009 May;64(3):339-47. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbp018. Epub 2009 Apr 9.

Abstract

This study prospectively examined the long-term impact of providing parent care using data from a probability-based U.S. sample of adult daughters and sons who had varying parent care experiences over time (N = 716). Parent care x Gender x Time mixed multivariate analyses of covariance using marital quality and well-being indicators as outcomes showed that, on average, experienced caregivers reported less marital happiness, more marital role inequity, and greater hostility than recent adult child caregivers. Significant three-way interactions indicated that experienced and recent caregiving daughters, respectively, showed an increase over time in depressive symptomatology and long-term depression, whereas their male counterparts showed a decline over the same period. Findings are discussed in terms of gender differences in the relative applicability of the wear-and-tear versus adaptation models of caregiving outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • Adult Children / psychology*
  • Caregivers / psychology*
  • Cost of Illness
  • Depression / diagnosis
  • Depression / psychology
  • Family Conflict / psychology
  • Female
  • Gender Identity
  • Happiness
  • Hostility
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Marriage / psychology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Prospective Studies
  • Quality of Life / psychology*