scholarly journals LIFE COURSE EXAMINATION OF GLOBAL AND DAILY PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACTS OF FAMILY CAREGIVERS IN MIDLIFE AND LATE ADULTHOOD

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S819-S819
Author(s):  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Jen D Wong ◽  
Yetty Shobo ◽  
Barbara T Hodgdon
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Psychosocial Impacts ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Family members often serve as informal caregivers for the first line of care. The complexity of family caregiving suggests the need to examine the personal and environmental resources that contribute to caregivers’ psychosocial well-being. Informed by the life course perspective, this study investigates the impacts of providing care to a family member on global and daily psychosocial well-being, and the moderating influences of age, gender, marital status, and social support. The sample consists of 1449 (M=55.99, SD=9.31) participants from Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II: Main and Diary) survey. Regression and multilevel models results indicated greater global negative affect and daily stressors in caregivers as compared to non-caregivers. In line with the positive correlates of caregiving, caregivers reported greater daily positive events. Age, gender, and marital status significantly moderated the associations between caregiving and well-being. Findings showed that services aimed at family caregivers should take into account of personal resources.

Types of Family Caregiving and Daily Experiences in Midlife and Late Adulthood: The Moderating Influences of Marital Status and Age

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 719-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jen D. Wong ◽  
Yetunde Shobo
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Daily Diary Study ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
The Life Course

Guided by the life-course perspective, this study contributes to the family caregiving, aging, and disability literature by examining the daily experiences of three types of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. A sample of 162 caregivers from the National Survey of Midlife in the United States study completed interviews, questionnaires, and a Daily Diary Study. Multilevel models showed the patterns of daily time use did not differ by caregiver types. Caregivers of sons/daughters with developmental disabilities (DD) experienced more daily stressors than caregivers of parents with health conditions (HC) and caregivers of spouses with HC. Unmarried caregivers of sons/daughters with DD reported spending more time on daily leisure activities and exhibited greater daily stressor exposure than other family caregivers. Age did not moderate the associations between caregiver types and daily experiences. Findings highlight the important consideration of the caregivers’ characteristics to better determine the quality of their daily experiences in midlife and late adulthood.

scholarly journals ALWAYS TRY TO DO MY BEST: A THEMATIC ANALYSIS OF CHINESE AMERICAN DEMENTIA CAREGIVERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S676-S676
Author(s):  
Jinyu Liu ◽  
Bei Wu ◽  
Ada Mui ◽  
Yifan Lou ◽  
Wenxing Wei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Chinese American ◽  
Chinese Americans ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Chinese Family ◽  
Older Chinese ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Objectives: Given the increasing prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) in the United States and the rapid growth of the older Chinese American population, many older Chinese Americans are expected to need intensive care because of cognitive impairment. Prior studies on Chinese ADRD caregivers lack comprehensive examinations from a life course perspective that emphasizes the importance of time, context, process and meaning on human development. Using the life course perspective, this study aims to identify challenges and strength of caregiving experience for this population. Methods: We conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 28 Chinese family caregivers of persons with ADRD in New York City. Thematic analysis method was used to assess the interview data. Results: Seven life-course themes emerged from the data. In the domain of challenges, four themes were identified: (1) physical and emotional exhaustion, (2) limited understanding on cognitive health, (3) difficulty in accessing effective and culturally-sensitive health care services for care recipients, and (4) caregivers’ inability to do self-care. Other three themes were found in the domain of strengths: (1) commitment to care due to cultural and religious values, (2) emotional closeness as resource to sustain caregiving, and (3) family support and cohesion. Conclusion: This study indicates that the life course perspective is an important lens to understand challenges and strengths of Chinese American caregivers. This study also suggests that health professionals could incorporate the life course perspective into assessment and intervention development when working with minority and immigrant ADRD family caregivers.

scholarly journals THE INFLUENCE OF RECESSION HARDSHIPS ON THE PSYCHOSOCIAL WELL-BEING OF SANDWICHED AND FILIAL CAREGIVERS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S613-S613
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen D Wong
Keyword(s):  
Positive Affect ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Multiple Generations ◽  
Multigenerational Households ◽  
Environmental Mastery ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract The 2007-2009 U.S. Great Recession impacted the lives of many families, and it has been documented that multigenerational households in the U.S. increased by 10% during this period. Given the vulnerability of providing care to multiple generations, there is a need to examine the influence of recession hardships on sandwiched caregiving and psychosocial well-being in the context of more normative caregiving (e.g., filial caregiving). Informed by the life course perspective, this study assessed the impacts of types of family caregiving (sandwiched and filial caregivers) on psychosocial well-being (e.g., affect, environmental mastery, and social actualization) and the moderating role of recession hardships (e.g., job loss, foreclosure). Sandwiched and filial caregivers (N=127; Mage=53; SD=11.02) from the Refresher Cohort of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) Survey provide information on demographics, recession hardships, family caregiving, and well-being. Results from regression analyses showed that sandwiched caregivers exhibited lower levels of positive affect and environmental mastery than filial caregivers. Moderation analyses showed that filial caregivers with lower recession hardships exhibited lower positive affect and social actualization when compared to sandwiched caregivers with lower recession hardships. Filial caregivers with lower recession hardships exhibited lower positive affect and social actualization than sandwiched and filial caregivers with greater recession hardships. These results illustrate the complexity of family caregiving in that providing care to multiple generations does not necessarily translate to lower levels of well-being. Study findings have the potential to inform programs that may promote sandwiched caregivers’ well-being and support filial caregivers navigating financial disruptions.

Family Caregivers’ Psychosocial Well-being in the Context of the Great Recession

2021 ◽  
pp. 009141502110376
Author(s):  
Barbara T. Hodgdon ◽  
Jen D. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Great Recession ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
The Great Recession ◽  
Multigenerational Households ◽  
Financial Challenges ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Support Family

The economic instability of the Great Recession contributed to a rise in multigenerational households as more individuals took on unanticipated care responsibilities for older family members while navigating financial uncertainties. Guided by the life course perspective, this study compared the psychological and social well-being of family caregivers and examined the moderating influences of financial challenges experienced during the Great Recession. Filial and sandwiched caregivers ( N = 138; Mage = 52.80; SDage = 11.25) from the Refresher Cohort of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey provided information on demographics, caregiving, financial challenges, and well-being. Findings from regression analyses showed that sandwiched caregivers exhibited lower environmental mastery and positive relations with others than filial caregivers ( p  = .07). Moderation analyses showed that sandwiched caregivers with fewer than average financial challenges exhibited lower social actualization than the other family caregivers ( p = .01). Study findings underscore the need to support family caregivers’ psychosocial well-being as they navigate caregiving responsibilities and financial disruptions.

scholarly journals A Faith to Move Mountains? Childhood Abuse, Religious Change, and Mental Health at Midlife

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 461-461
Author(s):  
Laura Upenieks
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Religious Attendance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Religious Importance ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract Of all the various forms of adversity experienced during childhood, childhood maltreatment (emotional and physical abuse) is shown to have the largest impacts on mental health and well-being. Yet we still have a limited understanding of why some victims of early maltreatment suffer immense mental health consequences later on in the life course, while others are able to cushion the blow of these early insults. Using two waves of data from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS), this study considers change in religiosity as a buffer across three dimensions for victims of childhood abuse: religious importance, attendance, and the specific act of seeking comfort through religion. Results suggest that increases in religious comfort during adulthood are positively associated with adult mental health for victims of abuse, while decreases in religious comfort over time were associated with worse mental health. Changes in religious attendance and religious importance were not significant associated with mental health for victims of abuse. Taken together, my results show that the stress-moderating effects of religion for victims of childhood maltreatment are contingent on the stability or increases or decreases in religiosity over the life course, which has been overlooked in previous work.

scholarly journals The Impacts of Discrimination and Filial Caregivers’ Age on Aspects of Physical Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 360-360
Author(s):  
Barbara Hodgdon ◽  
Jen Wong
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Chronic Conditions ◽  
The United States ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Filial caregivers (e.g., individuals caring for a parent or parent-in-law) are a part of the growing number of family caregivers in midlife and late adulthood. The responsibilities that filial caregivers navigate in midlife and late adulthood may expose them to multiple types of discrimination that may decrease their physical health, though this relationship has been understudied. As numbers of family caregivers grow, it is important to examine the potential vulnerability of younger and older filial caregivers’ physical health in the context of discrimination. Informed by the life course perspective, this study compares the physical health of younger (aged 34-64) and older (aged 64-74) filial caregivers who experience discrimination. Filial caregivers (N=270; Mage=53; SD=9.37) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS-II) Survey reported on demographics, family caregiving, daily discrimination, self-rated physical health, and chronic conditions via questionnaires and phone interviews. Regression analyses showed no differences between younger and older adults’ self-rated physical health or average chronic conditions. However, moderation analyses revealed that younger filial caregivers who experienced greater discrimination reported poorer self-rated physical health than their older counter parts as well as younger and older filial caregivers who experienced less discrimination. Additionally, younger caregivers with greater discrimination exposure exhibited more number of chronic conditions as compared to other caregivers. The study results highlight the impact of the intersection between filial caregivers’ age and discrimination on physical health. Findings have the potential to inform programs that could promote the health of filial caregivers in the face of discrimination.

scholarly journals The Psychological Consequences of Disability over the Life Course: Assessing the Mediating Role of Perceived Interpersonal Discrimination

2020 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-207
Author(s):  
Eun Ha Namkung ◽  
Deborah Carr
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Perceived Discrimination ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Interpersonal Discrimination ◽  
The Life Course

We examine whether perceived interpersonal discrimination mediates the association between disability and psychological well-being (depression, negative and positive affect) and how these processes differ across the life course. Data are from two waves (2004–2006; 2013–2014) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS; N = 2,503). Perceived discrimination accounts for 5% to 8% of the association between disability and the three mental health outcomes. Moderated mediation analyses reveal significant age differences; perceived discrimination is a stronger explanatory mechanism among midlife (ages 40–64) relative to older (age 65+) adults. Disability stigma takes a heightened psychological toll at midlife, a life stage when adults are expected to be able-bodied and interact with a diverse social network, which may be a source of interpersonal mistreatment. Among older adults, for whom impairment is expected and common, the psychological impact of disability may operate through other pathways. We discuss implications for research and practice.

From 9 to 91: health promotion through the life-course—illuminating the inner child

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margareta Sjöblom ◽  
Lars Jacobsson ◽  
Kerstin Öhrling ◽  
Catrine Kostenius
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Secondary Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Life Course Perspective ◽  
World Health ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Childhood Experiences ◽  
Inner Child ◽  
The Life Course

Summary A life-course perspective is according to the World Health Organization about increasing the effectiveness of health promotion interventions at all ages. This targets the needs of human beings throughout their life. Descriptions of the phenomenon of the inner child invite the possibility that it may be of help when promoting health throughout the life-course. The aim was to describe and understand schoolchildren’s, adults and older person’s experiences of childhood in connection to health and well-being in the present and through the life-course, illuminating the inner child. The research strategy used was a secondary analysis of the original transcribed data from three Swedish studies investigating new questions. In total, 53 individuals aged 9–91, 20 school children, 20 adults and 13 older persons were interviewed about childhood experiences. The schoolchildren were invited to create a drawing, and to narrate about it during the interview. The main question in the secondary analysis was ‘How do the participants’ narrations about childhood experiences illuminate the inner child, useful for health promotion through the life-course?’ The findings showed the importance of a secure atmosphere and trusting relationships, indicating that experiences during childhood can help us to adapt and pass along life lessons across generations. There were narratives about play as an activity where they learned to promote a healthy childhood, struggle for independence and learning how to be responsible when growing up. Dimensions of mental, social and existential well-being can be seen as examples of the inner child’s role in health promotion through the life-course.

scholarly journals Endogenous Selection Bias and Cumulative Inequality over the Life Course: Evidence from Educational Inequality in Subjective Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-350
Author(s):  
Fabian Kratz ◽  
Alexander Patzina
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Panel Data ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Interviewer Effects ◽  
Endogenous Selection ◽  
The Life Course

Abstract According to theories of cumulative (dis-)advantage, inequality increases over the life course. Labour market research has seized this argument to explain the increasing economic inequality as people age. However, evidence for cumulative (dis-)advantage in subjective well-being remains ambiguous, and a prominent study from the United States has reported contradictory results. Here, we reconcile research on inequality in subjective well-being with theories of cumulative (dis-)advantage. We argue that the age-specific endogenous selection of the (survey) population results in decreasing inequalities in subjective well-being means whereas individual-level changes show a pattern of cumulative (dis-)advantage. Using repeated cross-sectional data from the European Social Survey (N = 15,252) and employing hierarchical age-period-cohort models, we replicate the finding of decreasing inequality from the United States with the same research design for Germany. Using panel data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (persons = 47,683, person-years = 360,306) and employing growth curve models, we show that this pattern of decreasing inequality in subjective well-being means is accompanied by increasing inequality in intra-individual subjective well-being changes. This pattern arises because disadvantaged groups, such as the low educated and individuals with low subjective well-being show lower probabilities of continuing to participate in a survey and because both determinants reinforce each other. In addition to allowing individual changes and attrition processes to be examined, the employed multi-cohort panel data have further key advantages for examining inequality in subjective well-being over the life course: They require weaker assumptions to control for period and cohort effects and make it possible to control for interviewer effects that may influence the results.

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