Longitudinal analysis of resourcefulness, family strain, and depressive symptoms in grandmother caregivers

Abstract

Background Grandmothers living with grandchildren face stressors that may increase depressive symptoms, but cognitive-behavioral strategies, such as resourcefulness, may reduce the effects of stressors on mental health. Purpose This analysis examined the contemporaneous and longitudinal relationships among intra-family strain, resourcefulness and depressive symptoms in 240 grandmothers, classified by caregiving status to grandchildren. Methods Grandmothers raising grandchildren, grandmothers living in multigenerational homes, and non-caregivers to grandchildren reported on intra-family strain, resourcefulness, and depressive symptoms using mailed questionnaires at three time points over five years. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the mediating effects of resourcefulness and the relationships between variables. Discussion Grandmother caregiver status had significant effects on depressive symptoms and intra-family strain, but not resourcefulness. At all waves, higher resourcefulness was associated with fewer depressive symptoms, which reduced appraisals of intra-family strain. Conclusions Interventions focused on strengthening resourcefulness could reduce depressive symptoms over time.

Grandmothers and Self-Management of Depressive Symptoms

“…Depressive symptoms are often reported as a problem for custodial grandmothers compared to other women their age (Blustein et al, 2004; Kelley, Whitley, Sipe, & Crofts Yorker, 2000; Minkler, Fuller, Thomson, Miller, & Driver, 1997; Moorman & Stokes, 2014; Musil et al, 2013; Strawbridge, Wallhagen, Shema, & Kaplan, 1997; Whitley et al, 2016). The stress associated with day to day efforts of raising grandchildren coupled with the extended family situations that necessitate assuming primary care to grandchildren place custodial caregiver grandmothers at elevated depression risk compared to non-caregivers to grandchildren (Blustein et al, 2004; Whitley et al).…”

“…Identification and treatment of depressive symptoms are particularly important for grandmother caregivers as their well-being and daily functioning impacts the health of their families. Grandmothers raising grandchildren are more likely to have elevated depressive symptoms when compared with grandmothers who live apart from grandchildren or grandmothers living in multigenerational homes (Blustein, Chan, & Guanais, 2004; Fuller-Thomson & Minkler, 2001; Musil, Jeanblanc, Burant, Zauszniewski, & Warner, 2013; Musil, Warner, Zauszniewski, Wykle, & Standing, 2009). Similarly, custodial grandmothers exhibit depressive symptoms at a higher rate than the general population of women (Whitley, Kelley, & Lamis, 2016).…”

“…While the screening assessment data, primarily from the Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D) Scale, suggests that custodial caregiver grandmothers experience depressive symptomatology at a relatively higher rate than other women of the same age (Blustein, et al, 2004; Musil et al, 2013; Radloff, 1997), there is little data validating their CES-D symptom appraisals with other mental health indicators, including provider diagnoses of depression or self-report of depression as a health problem. Further, despite the current emphasis on self-management of health problems, few, if any, reports exist examining 1) whether grandmothers who have elevated CES-D scores perceive their depressive symptoms to be indicative of an illness, receive any treatment, engage in self-management for their depressive symptoms, or report that depressive symptoms affect caregiving, and 2) whether those outcomes differ by their caregiving responsibilities for grandchildren.…”

Resourcefulness Training for Women Dementia Caregivers: Acceptability and Feasibility of Two Methods

“…These skills can be learned formally or informally, and there is evidence of beneficial effects of resourcefulness training in grandmothers raising grandchildren (Musil, Jeanblanc, Burant, Zauszniewski & Warner, 2013), older adults in retirement communities (Zauszniewski, Eggenschwiler, Preechawong, Roberts, & Morris, 2006), caregivers of the seriously mentally ill (Zauszniewski, Bekhet & Suresky, 2008), and chronically ill elders (Zauszniewski, Bekhet, Lai, McDonald & Musil, 2007). The acceptability and feasibility of resourcefulness training has been shown in grandmother caregivers (Zauszniewski, Musil, & Au, 2013), relocated older adults (Bekhet, Zauszniewski, & Matel-Anderson, 2012), and mothers of technology-dependent children (Toly, Musil, & Zauszniewski, 2014).…”

Investigating the Relationship Between Family Caregiving and Chronic Diseases Among Sandwich Generation Females

“…Vitaliano (2003) suggested that physical health problems among multigenerational caregivers included chronic diseases and metabolic and cardiovascular problems (30); thus, the results of his study were similar to the findings of the present research. Musil (2013) found that caregiving grandmothers, who cared for their grandchildren, experienced significant levels of family conflicts and thus stronger depression symptoms compared to noncaregiving grandmothers (37), so the results of his study were in the vein of this research. On the other hand, Ku (2013) discovered that caregiving grandparents reported less depression symptoms compared to non-caregiving participants (38).…”