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Multiple parent-adult child relations and well-being in middle and later life
Author(s)Russell A Ward
Journal titleJournals of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, vol 63B, no 4, July 2008
Pagespp S239-S247
Sourcehttp://www.geron.org
KeywordsParents ; Children [offspring] ; Siblings ; Family relationships ; Well being ; Middle aged ; Age groups [elderly] ; Social surveys ; United States of America.
AnnotationDespite the centrality of parent-adult child relations, prior research has found only weak associations with parent well-being. There is a need to give more explicit attention to the relations of parents with multiple children and to the potentially mixed or "ambivalent" nature of those relations. These patterns may differ for mothers and fathers. Wave 1 of the US National Survey of Families and Households provided detailed information on relations between parents and each of their adult children. The sample included 2,270 people aged 50+ who had at least one child aged 19+. Measures across multiple adult children uncovered more mixed patterns of "collective ambivalence" that included lesser quality and/or contact with at least some children. The presence of less positive relations with any children was consistently, albeit modestly, related to lower parent well-being. Mothers reported higher "maximum" quality and interaction across children, but mothers and fathers did not differ in "minimum" reports. Associations between parent-child relations and well-being were similar for mothers and fathers. Analyses that incorporate the relationships of parents with their multiple adult children, viewed as part of a family network, yield a more comprehensive and nuanced view of those relationships and their implications for well-being. (KJ/RH).
Accession NumberCPA-091210216 A
ClassmarkSR: SS: SV: DS:SJ: D:F:5HH: SE: BB: 3F: 7T

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