The Intergenerational Relationship in Families of an Adult Child with Disabilities: The Within- and Between-Family Differences and Implications for Parental Well-Being

摘要

Aims: This dissertation examined the within- and between-family differences in the quality of intergenerational relationships in families of an adult with disabilities [developmental disabilities (DD) or serious mental illnesses (SMI)]. This dissertation also explored the association between the quality of the intergenerational relationships and the health and well-being of aging parents of adults with disabilities.;Methods: Data were from the 2011 Wisconsin Longitudinal Study in which parent participants (Mage = 71; n = 7,285) were asked about their relationship with each of their adult children. Multilevel models were estimated (1) to compare the quality of the parents' relationship with their adult child with disabilities to the quality of their relationships with other non-disabled children and (2) to examine whether the relationships aging parents have with their non-disabled children differed between families of an adult child with disabilities and families in which none of the children had disabilities. In addition, structural equation models were estimated (3) to examine whether the quality of intergenerational relationships mediates the negative associations between having a child with disabilities and parental health. The quality of the intergenerational relationship was operationalized by measures of ambivalence and its two components, solidarity and conflict.;Results: Aging parents experienced greater ambivalence toward their child with SMI relative to their other children whereas no differences were found in how parents rated their relationships with their adult child with DD and their other non-disabled adult children. In between-family comparison, parents of an adult with SMI were likely to perceive greater ambivalence toward their non-disabled adult children than comparison group parents who did not have any child with disabilities. No differences were found between parents of an adult with DD and comparison group parents. Also, parental ambivalence toward their non-disabled adult children played a significant indirect role in the negative association of having a child with disabilities and parental health.;Conclusion: The findings have implications for clinical practice with aging families of adults with disabilities and suggest the need for additional research to better understand intergenerational dynamics in aging families of adults with disabilities.