Journal
MARRIAGE AND FAMILY REVIEW
Volume 57, Issue 4, Pages 329-345Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/01494929.2020.1861163
Keywords
grandparents raising grandchildren; custodial grandparents; mental health well-being; stress; caregivers; depression; aging
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The meta-analysis of six studies suggests that custodial grandparents raising grandchildren are more likely to experience adverse mental health outcomes compared to their non-parenting counterparts. This finding adds to the existing evidence of their emotional vulnerability and calls for further research in this area.
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine if raising grandchildren is related to diminished mental health well-being in custodial grandparents compared to contemporaries who are not raising grandchildren. Relevant studies were identified via comprehensive literature searches of electronic databases. We included six studies in the meta-analysis. A random effects model was used to calculate effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis yielded a statistically significant, small-to-moderate summary effect size (ES) indicating caregiving grandparents generally experience a larger degree of adverse mental health outcomes than their non-parenting counterparts. While previous studies have produced conflicting results regarding the mental health outcomes experienced by custodial grandparents, the present meta-analysis findings provide another level of evidence that substantiates their emotional vulnerability. Recommendations for subsequent research are discussed.
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