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 5 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 on 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.
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 5 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 on 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.
Authors: Carol M Musil; Heather M Rice; Mark Singer; Sarah E Givens; Camille B Warner; Jaclene A Zauszniewski; Christopher J Burant; Valerie B Toly; Alexandra B Jeanblanc Journal: West J Nurs Res Date: 2017-07-24 Impact factor: 1.967
Authors: Carol M Musil; Sarah E Givens; Alexandra B Jeanblanc; Jaclene A Zauszniewski; Camille B Warner; Valerie B Toly Journal: Arch Psychiatr Nurs Date: 2016-11-23 Impact factor: 2.218