Using a life course theoretical framework, this study examined longitudinal effects of continuity and transitions in marital status on multiple dimensions of psychological well-being. Data came from National Survey of Families and Households 1987-1993 respondents ages 19 to 65 ( N = 6,948). Differences between men and women as well as between young and midlife adults were investigated. Multivariate analyses revealed a complex pattern of effects depending on the contrast and the outcome examined. Although marriage continued to promote well-being for both men and women, in some cases—for example, autonomy, personal growth—the single fared better than the married. The effects of continuity in single status were not very different for women in contrast to men. The transition to divorce or widowhood was associated with somewhat more negative effects for women. Midlife adults evidenced more psychological resilience than young adults did in facing the challenges of a marital transition or remaining single over time.

ࡗ Transitions to Caregiving, Gender, and Psychological Well-Being: A Prospective U.S. National Study Guided by a life course perspective, this study examined the effects of transitioning into caregiving activity for a child, spouse, parent, other relative, or nonkin associate on nine dimensions of psychological well-being. Data came from adults ages 19-95, who were noncaregiver primary respondents in the National Survey of Families and Households in 1987-88 and who were followed up longitudinally in 1992-93 ( N ϭ 8,286). Results from multivariate regression models confirmed that the transition to caregiving for primary kin (i.e., a child, spouse, or biological parent) was associated with an increase in depressive symptoms. However in selected instances, caregiving was associated with beneficial effects (e.g., women who began to provide nonresidential care to a biological parent reported more purpose in life than noncaregiving women). Evidence regarding gender differences was inconsistent, varying across caregiving role relationship types.

No abstract

A life-course theoretical perspective guided this study to examine how effects on mental and physical health (depressive symptoms, hostility, global happiness, self-esteem, personal mastery, psychological wellness, self-rated physical health) of transitioning into filial caregiving for a sole surviving parent are moderated by prior relationship quality, filial obligation, race or ethnicity, education, income, employment status, marital status, and parental status. Results from models estimated using longitudinal data from 1,060 adults aged 25 to 65 years at baseline (National Survey of Families and Households, 1987 to 1994) suggested that life-course and contextual factors do contribute to patterning health risks of caregiving, often in different ways for men and women: For example, low income puts daughter caregivers at greater risk for decline in physical health, combining employment with filial caregiving is more problematic for daughters' mental health, and being an unmarried filial caregiver is more problematic for men. Heterogeneity in the experience of filial care needs further attention in future research. Keywordscaregiving; parent; mental health; physical health; filial Assuming the role of caregiver for a frail or disabled parent is becoming an increasingly probable occurrence for both women and men traversing middle adulthood (Brody 1990;Marks 1996; National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP 2004;Stone, Cafferata, and Sangl 1987), and providing care to disabled elderly parents has been linked to considerable strain, burden, psychological distress, and sometimes poorer health (e.g., Brody 1990; George and Gwyther 1986;Horowitz 1985;Hoyert and Seltzer 1992;Pinquart and Sorensen 2003;Schulz, Visintainer, and Williamson 1990;Schulz and Williamson 1991;Stephens and Townsend 1997;Young and Kahana 1989). Overall, most studies suggest that women providing parent care experience more burden and distress than men (Montgomery 1992;Yee and Schulz 2000). A number of additional life-course contextual factors beyond gender that might moderate the effects of filial caregiving have been suggested and to some extent examined, for NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript example, race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, relationship quality, attitudes toward filial responsibility, marital status, parenthood status, and employment status. However, a systematic examination of all of these moderators across a national sample of caregivers has not been previously undertaken.The transition into filial caregiving has been the least frequently studied phase of the caregiving career to date, because it requires a prospective research design. The aim of this study was to contribute to a population and life-course perspective on filial caregiving by using longitudinal U.S. national data to examine how multiple psychosocial life-course contextual factorsgender, relationship quality, filial obligation, race or ethnicity, educational attainment, household income, marital status, employment,...

Guided primarily by transitions theory, this study examined changes over two points in time (approximately 5 years apart) in multiple life domains (i.e., household tasks, social life, marital relationship, and well-being) between two groups of husbands aged 60 and older, who indicated that their wives were not in need of care or assistance due to an illness or disability at the initial interview. The two groups included husbands who identified themselves as a provider of care at Time 2 (T2; i.e., they had transitioned into the caregiver role; n = 26), and those married to healthy wives at T2 (i.e., noncaregivers; n = 262). Data came from a national probability sample of U.S. adults who were primary respondents to the National Survey of Families and Households in 1987-88, and who were followed up longitudinally in 1992-93. Findings suggested that husbands who entered the caregiving role demonstrated significant changes in household responsibilities, social integration, marital relationship, and well-being. Implications for practice and future research on the older husband caregiver are highlighted.

Studies of infant-father attachment and other aspects of father-child relationships burgeoned during the 1980s and 90s, in step with new expectations for greater father participation in childrearing, but less is known about how involved fathers experience themselves as attachment figures, socialization agents, and playmates/companions of their young children. In an attempt to investigate these topics from a relationship perspective, we administered the Parent Attachment Interview (PAI) to 49 married fathers from dual career families who, based on current literature, were expected to be active participants in caring for and interacting with their preschool children. The 22 open-ended PAI questions were designed to probe fathers' thoughts and feelings about parent-child attachment, but also elicited extensive descriptions of other aspects of fathering, including socialization and companionship. In addition, fathers reflected on similarities and differences between the father- and mother-child relationships, and these accounts were compared with corresponding discussions by their wives. Among new issues raised by the study were the role of affection in attachment relationships, evidence for the attachment hierarchy construct, issues of parental self-control in relation to discipline, conceptual overlaps between attachment and other aspects of parenting, and the diverse meanings of father-mother differences and disagreements in the three domains of parenting addressed in this study.

No abstract

Studies of parental identity tend to focus on historical influences or experiences with the other parent of the child and overlook the influence of children on parents. To investigate children's influence on parental identity, this study examines individuals' perceived mattering or significance to their schoolaged children. Cross-case qualitative analysis of data from 47 parents (n = 30 females, 17 males) reveals that mattering emerges from interactions with children and attention from children. Mattering is not viewed by participants as a global and stable trait but is identified as malleable. Parents also view their obligation and fulfillment of the role as an indication of mattering. As such, mattering helps to define the parental role, and enactment of the parental role enables parents to define themselves as significant to others.