Grandparenthood and Mental Health: Implications for the Practitioner

Goals of this study were (a) to examine associations between grandparenthood and grandparents' levels of mental health and (b) to consider the implications of these patterns of association for practice. In structured interviews, grandparents (N = 301) discussed their relationship with one of th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied gerontology 1990-12, Vol.9 (4), p.464-479
Main Author: Thomas, Jeanne L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Grandchildren
Grandparents
Intergenerational Relations
Mental Health
Wisconsin
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Goals of this study were (a) to examine associations between grandparenthood and grandparents' levels of mental health and (b) to consider the implications of these patterns of association for practice. In structured interviews, grandparents (N = 301) discussed their relationship with one of their grandchildren; measures of mental health (morale, life-satisfaction, and self-esteem) were also administered during interviews. Reactions to the relationship with the grandchild were among the significant predictors of scores on the mental health measures. It is concluded that understanding relationships with grandchildren can provide insight into middle-aged and older adults' general feelings of adjustment. Suggestions for incorporating reactions to grandparenthood into therapy are offered.
ISSN:0733-4648
1552-4523
DOI:10.1177/073346489000900407