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The family environment is essential but underused for promoting sexual and reproductive health protective behaviors (SHPB). However, previous literature had no consistent findings regarding how families can efficiently provide sex education and what aspects of family communication may facilitate SHPB. Based on family communication patterns theory (FCPT) and new research that segments family conformity orientation into four sub-dimensions (i.e., respecting parental authority, experiencing parental control, adopting parents' values, and questioning parents' beliefs), we explored the roles that family communication patterns (FCP) and parents' (direct and indirect) sexual communication play in influencing adult daughters' intentions to engage in SHPB. Using survey data from 234 female participants, path analysis suggested that daughters' SHPB intentions were associated with more direct and indirect sexual communication, higher conversation orientation, higher parental control, and less adoption of parental values. Also, parents' direct sexual communication mediated the impact of conversation orientation on SHPB intentions. Additionally, parents' indirect sexual communication mediated the path from parental value adoption to SHPB intentions, mitigating the negative direct impact of parental value adoption. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives This study examined the extent to which multiple relationship-specific attachment schemas (general, parent-child, and romantic) are interrelated and relate to depressive symptoms among older adults living with early-stage dementia and their adult children, a context likely to activate the attachment system. Methods The study consisted of 150 early-stage cognitively impaired parents and one child. Both self-reported general, parent-child, and romantic attachment anxiety as well as avoidance and depressive symptoms. Parents' cognitive and functional impairment were assessed. Results Most attachment variables were interrelated for individuals, except that the child's parent-child-specific avoidance was not associated with their general or romantic avoidance. The parent's worse functional, but not cognitive, impairment was associated with the child's greater parent-child-specific attachment anxiety. Using Actor Partner Interdependence Models, general attachment anxiety was associated with greater depressive symptoms (actor effects). When both dyad members were high in general avoidance, depressive symptoms were greatest (actor × partner effect). A parent had the greatest depressive symptoms when they were avoidantly attached to their child (role × actor effect) and their child was high in anxiety and low in avoidance toward them (role × partner effects). A child had the greatest depressive symptoms when they were low in avoidance toward the parent (role × actor effect) and the parent was low in anxiety and high in avoidance toward the child (role × partner effects). Romantic anxiety was associated with greater depressive symptoms (actor effects). Discussion Psychosocial interventions that incorporate attachment theory as a framework may benefit parent-child dyads coping with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of the present analyses are to examine the frequency, nature, and correlates of nonfatal gun use in incidents of conflict between adult children and their parents, to which police were summoned. A cross-sectional study design was used with all cases of domestic violence to which police were called between adult children and their parents, in Philadelphia, PA, in 2013 (N = 6,248). Data were drawn from forms required to be completed by police when responding to domestic violence calls for assistance. A series of multivariate logistic regression models were estimated. Of the 6,248 incidents, 5,486 involved no weapon, 522 involved a bodily weapon, 190 involved a non-gun external weapon, and 50 involved a gun. Guns were most often used to threaten victims (66%), with guns less often fired (6%) or used to pistol whip victims (4%). Compared to incidents involving a bodily weapon, when guns were involved, offenders were less likely to have pushed, grabbed, or punched the victim and victims were less likely to have visible injuries; however, offenders were more likely to have threatened victims and victims were more likely to be observed as frightened. Police officers intervened similarly to incidents involving guns vs. bodily weapons. This is the first study we are aware of to focus on nonfatal gun use between family members who are not intimate partners, with the results extending much of what is known regarding nonfatal gun use among intimate partners to nonfatal gun use among adult children and parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has not considered how digital communication fits with the established intergenerational solidarity paradigm, although the paradigm has undergone other refinements over time. Consequently, less is known about how the use of digital communication creates new types of intergenerational solidarity between parents and adult children, and how they are associated with their well‐being. With this foundation, we aimed to identify new dyadic patterns of intergenerational solidarity between parents and adult children during the COVID‐19 pandemic in South Korea, with an emphasis on digital communication (texting, video call, and social media interaction), its intersection with other dimensions of solidarity, and its association with parents' and children's well‐being (depressive symptoms, self‐esteem, and life satisfaction). Using an online survey method, we collected data from 407 parent–adult child dyads between April and June 2022 from the Seoul Metropolitan area in South Korea. Three‐step latent class analysis was used for data analysis. We identified four classes describing intergenerational solidarity between parents and adult children (tight‐knit, distant‐but‐digitally‐connected, conflictual, and independent). We found that among dyads of parents and adult children who had tight‐knit and distant‐but‐digitally‐connected relationships with each other, parents reported better well‐being on all three outcomes, and children reported better life satisfaction compared to dyads who had conflictual relationships. Our findings suggest that incorporating digital communication into the intergenerational solidarity paradigm is useful to better understand the multidimensional characteristics of intergenerational relationships between older parents and their adult children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing body of evidence linking intergenerational education and late-life cognitive decline is almost exclusively from high-income countries, despite rapid intergenerational changes in education in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We used data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (n  = 8,822), a cohort study of Mexican adults aged ≥50 years (2001–2018), to evaluate whether parental education (none vs. any formal schooling), one's own education (less than primary school vs. completion of primary school), or an adult child's education (less than high school vs. completion of high school) was associated with verbal memory z scores. We used linear mixed models with inverse probability of attrition weights. Educational attainment in all 3 generations was associated with baseline verbal memory scores, independent of the prior generation's education. Lower parental (β = −0.005, 95% confidence interval: −0.009, −0.002) and respondent (β = −0.013, 95% confidence interval: −0.017, −0.010) educational level were associated with faster decline in delayed (but not immediate) verbal memory z scores. Associations between adult child's education and respondent's verbal memory decline varied by exposure specification. The educational attainment of parents and adult children may influence the cognitive aging of middle-aged and older adults in LMICs. These results have important implications given recent structural shifts in educational attainment in many LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adult child to parent violence is a growing international social problem that needs to be better understood to develop clinical interventions. An exploratory study on the antecedents of early life adversity on adult child to parent violence/elder mistreatment was carried out using secondary analysis. Directed content analysis was used based on life course theory with a data set of older mothers all > 57 years old (J. R. Smith 2021, 2022). Measurement of instances of child abuse, domestic violence, and birth trauma among abused older mothers was conducted. All the older women had reported being negatively affected by their adult children's problems and 56% reported being physically attacked. A case example is presented to illustrate how repeated incidents of abuse or neglect in early life might explain an older woman's inability to take actions for her own safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family values operate in both immediate (i.e., familial) and broader social contexts. This study used a mixed methods approach to examine both forms of family values in the Australian context. A convenience sample of 856 people completed a measure of family values about both their own values and their perceived values of one of their parents, and a measure of familism. Using a story completion approach, a majority of the sample also responded to three story stems focused on the perceived values held by fictional families. Quantitative findings identified relationships between participant and perceived parent values in terms of gender. Participants reported high levels of familism, predicted by religiosity, age, and being a parent. Qualitative findings suggested that some participants were mindful of discrimination faced by the fictional families, but many participants also provided deficit accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the literature on informal care-giving for older parents shows that daughters have a higher tendency to provide care compared with sons, only a few studies have focused on the gender composition of all children or parents' entire range of care options. Our study examines the effect of children's gender composition on informal and formal care types, as well as the informal care network. Using data from the 2015 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (N = 40,312), we found that parents with daughters tended to use less formal care because daughters take on additional informal care-giving responsibilities. Daughters were the main care-givers among parents' informal care networks. Further analysis indicated that daughters-in-law play an important role in the care-giving process when parents have only sons. We concluded that the presence of a daughter among the children reduces the use of formal care. The results indicated that children's gender composition is an important factor in explaining the allocation of informal care to parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to provide insight into the lives of parents to adult children with drug addiction. We focus on how the parents' social life and interactions were affected by feelings of guilt and shame, and how they dealt with the stigma that often accompanies drug addiction. 32 semi-structured interviews were conducted with parents (age 46–70) of adult children (age 18–47) with drug addiction in Sweden. Three themes emerged (1) Experiences of guilt, shame, and courtesy stigma, (2) Impact on social life and relationships and, (3) Strategies to reduce guilt and shame. Guilt, shame, and courtesy stigma complicated and restricted the parents' social interactions. Many parents applied a selective openness, carried experiences of alienation and in some cases isolated themselves. At the same time, several parents described that they were open about their child's addiction in certain contexts. For some parents, this meant a relief from guilt and shame and an opportunity for increased social interaction. Both informal and professional support for family members of individuals with drug addiction is vital to reduce experiences of guilt, shame, and courtesy stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Losing a parent or spouse in adulthood may result in prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms. PGD levels in parents may affect PGD levels in their adult offspring and the other way around. However, research on transmission of PGD in parent–child dyads is lacking. Consequently, we aimed to examine temporal associations between PGD levels in parent and adult children. Methods: In doing so, we analyzed longitudinal self-report data on PGD levels (using the PG-13) assessed at 2, 11, 18, and 26 months after loss in 257 adult parent–child dyads from Denmark. Cross-lagged panel modeling was used for data-analyses. Results: Changes in PGD levels in parents significantly predicted PGD levels in adult children, but not vice versa. Small through moderate cross-lagged effects (β = 0.05 through 0.07) were found for PGD levels in parents predicting PGD levels in adult children at a subsequent time-point. These cross-lagged effects were found while taking into account the association between PGD levels in parents and adult children at the same time-point as well as the associations between the same construct over time and relevant covariates. Conclusions: Pending replication of these findings in clinical samples and younger families, our findings offer tentative support for expanding our focus in research and treatment of PGD from the individual to the family level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a series of two papers, the narrative themes of Intergenerational Trauma (IGT) from both the perspectives of the parent and offspring generation in the Chinese diaspora in Canada are examined. IGT involves parental traumatization, the intergenerational transmission of trauma, and the impact of trauma on subsequent generations. This study focuses on the narratives of the offspring generation and their construction of how their parents' traumas shaped their lives. Narratives of IGT were constructed using a collaborative narrative method. The offspring narratives were centred on their experiences growing up in Canada and how those experiences were influenced by the transmission of their parents' traumas. Narratives were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) reflexive thematic analysis. The themes developed from the narratives were as follows: (a) silence and disconnection; (b) saving face and conflicting values; (c) discipline and internalization of insecurities; (d) education as necessity; and (e) preservation and reclamation of heritage. The study illustrates how collective and IGT are understood through the mediated narrative lens of subsequent generations. The role of silence and its construction in these narratives is discussed from a cultural standpoint in relation to dominant trauma discourse. The study has implications for understanding Chinese diasporic IGT through narrative and cultural frameworks and invites trauma and IGT discourses as clinical and research considerations for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 3864), we examined the relationship between proximity to aging parents and depression among middle-aged (45-64 years) married individuals in China. Our study depicted and explained the declining coresident rate and showed a majority of adult children live separately from their parents. Children living in different households had higher levels of depression than coresident children, including those living adjacently. Furthermore, having a coresident spouse increased the levels of depression of sons living in an adjacent dwelling and in the same city, and reduced the levels of depression of daughters living farther away. More intergenerational economic support increased the levels of depression of daughters living in an adjacent dwelling. These findings may offer a reference for married adult children to reconstruct intergenerational proximity and adjust intergenerational relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between adult children's education and older parents' cognitive health, and the extent to which this relationship is moderated by parents' own socio-economic and marital statuses. Data using Waves 5 (2000) to 13 (2016) are drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative panel survey of individuals age 50 and above in the United States of America (USA). Older parents' cognitive functioning is measured using episodic memory from Waves 5–13. Adult children's education is measured using years of schooling, on average, for all adult children of a respondent. Analyses based on multilevel linear growth curve modelling reveal that parents with well-educated adult children report higher memory score over time compared to their counterparts whose children are not as well-educated. We also find that the positive effect of children's education on parents' cognitive health is moderated by parents' own education, though not by their income, occupation or marital status. Our work contributes to the growing body of research on the 'upward' flow of resources model that assesses the ways in which personal and social assets of the younger generation shape the health and wellbeing of the older generation. Our findings are particularly relevant to the USA given the enduring linkage between socio-economic status and health, and the limited social and economic protection for those of lower social status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined how adult children's divorce affected their financial support to older parents in rural China and how that relationship was dependent on children's gender. The sample was from rural Anhui Province and the working sample included 1629 older parents who reported their interactions with 6210 children across six waves of observations in 14 years (2001- 2015). Generalized Estimating Equations showed that divorced sons provided less financial support to their parents than married sons. In contrast, divorced daughters did not necessarily provide less financial support than married daughters. This gender difference was statistically significant. The findings were discussed in the context of changing rural Chinese families, where the norm of filial piety is still strong but patrilineal tradition and gender ideology have experienced desynchronized changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While most studies have attempted to identify the causes and consequences of adult children's estrangement from their parents, this study focuses on a relatively unexplored topic -- factors associated with family relationships in which the adult child and parents reconcile after a period of estrangement. An online survey of 1360 parents who had experienced an estrangement from their adult child provided data concerning three constructs: (a) whether the parents were now still married, remarried, or divorced, (b) secure attachment ratings of self, other parent, and child, from the perspective of the responding parent, and (c) whether the estrangement was continuing or there had been a reconciliation. Parents who were still married described all family members as having a more secure model of attachment than did remarried or divorced parents. Also, continuous ratings of security of attachment by parents in families that had resolved the estrangement were higher than ratings by parents in which the estrangement was continuing. Two exploratory path models tested alternative hypotheses about how marital status and perceived security of attachment combined to differentiate between families in which the adult child reconciled, and families in which the adult child remained estranged. Model A did not find an indirect path leading from attachment security to marital status to reconciliation. Model B found a statistically significant indirect path leading from parents remaining married to higher levels of attachment security in their ratings of family members, to reconciliation rather than continued estrangement of the parent–child relationship. With data obtained at a single point in time, this study represents a first step toward exploring continuity or discontinuity in the relationship between the parents and between the parents and their adult child. Directions for further research and implications for clinical intervention to promote reconciliation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explored how parents, partners or spouses, siblings, and adult children, who had a relative living with a mental illness, experienced interactions with mental healthcare providers and staff. Design and Methods: A descriptive qualitative research process guided interviews with 20 family members about their experiences with the mental healthcare system. Findings: Analysis yielded similar and different themes of experience for each family role. Although navigating the mental system presented challenges, positive experiences affirmed family members' contributions to caregiving. Practice Implications: Involvement of family members contributes to inclusive care and promotes family satisfaction with care provided to their relative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although existing research recognized the associations between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) of parents and their adult children, the mechanisms that underpin these associations were not fully understood. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to explore the role of defence styles (DSs) on the associations between two EMS domains (Disconnection/Rejection and Impaired Autonomy) of parents and their adult children. Two hundred and fifteen families (i.e., mother, father, and their adult children) participated in the study. Both parents and their adult children were asked to complete Young Schema Questionnaire‐Short Form (YSQ‐SF) and Defence Style Questionnaire (DSQ) to assess their EMS domains and DSs. According to the results of the current study, there were significant associations between Disconnection/Rejection and Impaired Autonomy EMS domains of parents and their adult children, and these associations were mediated by only immature DS of parents and their adult children in a serial mediation model. These results contributed to our understanding of the associations between EMS domains of parents and their adult children through immature DSs. Moreover, our findings highlighted the importance of synthesizing the concepts of different theories to enhance our understanding of mental representations in families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study differences by sperm donor type in the psychological adjustment of the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS) offspring across three time periods from childhood to adulthood.Design: U.S.-based prospective cohort study.Setting: Paper-and-pencil questionnaires and protected online surveys.Patient(s): A cohort of 74 offspring conceived by lesbian parents using an anonymous (n = 26), a known (n = 26), or an open-identity (n = 22) sperm donor. Data were reported when offspring were ages 10 (wave 4), 17 (wave 5), and 25 (wave 6).Intervention(s): None.Main Outcome Measure(s): Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist administered to lesbian parents when offspring were ages 10 and 17 and the Achenbach Adult Self-Report administered to offspring at age 25.Result(s): In both relative and absolute stability, no differences were found in internalizing, externalizing, and total problem behaviors by donor type over 15 years. However, both externalizing and total problem behaviors significantly declined from age 10 to 17 and then increased from age 17 to 25. Irrespective of donor type, among the 74 offspring, the large majority scored continuously within the normal range on internalizing (n = 62, 83.8%), externalizing (n = 62, 83.8%), and total problem behaviors (n = 60, 81.1%).Conclusion(s): The results reassure prospective lesbian parents and provide policy makers and reproductive medicine practitioners with empirical evidence that psychological adjustment in offspring raised by lesbian parents is unrelated to donor type in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the associations between parent-child relationship satisfaction and psychological distress among emerging adult children and their parents. It also investigated whether these associations varied across ethnic groups. Based on related theories and research, we hypothesized negative "actor" and "partner" associations between parent-child relationship satisfaction and psychological distress among both the parents and emerging adult children, with a stronger "actor" association among parents. We also hypothesized that the negative "actor" association between emerging adult children's relationship satisfaction with their parents and their own psychological distress would be stronger among Hispanic emerging adult children than among their non-Hispanic peers. The sample included 183 non-Hispanic and Hispanic parent-emerging adult child dyads. Emerging adult children were recruited from two large universities in the U.S. Both the emerging adult children and their primary parents were invited to participate in an online survey and reported their parent-child relationship satisfaction, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and demographics. Results from Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) revealed a significant association between parents' relationship satisfaction with their emerging adult children and their own psychological distress ("actor effect" for parents). Further, a moderating effect by ethnicity was found such that the association between emerging adult children's relationship satisfaction with their parents and their own psychological distress was stronger among Hispanic emerging adult children than among their non-Hispanic peers (stronger "actor effect" for Hispanic emerging adult children). These findings have important implications for researchers and practitioners regarding intergenerational relationships and ethnic/cultural differences. Highlights: This study applied dyadic modeling (Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, APIM) to examine the associations between relationship satisfaction and psychological distress among parent-emerging adult child dyads. Parents' relationship satisfaction with their emerging adult children was significantly related to their own psychological distress. The association between emerging adult children's relationship satisfaction with their parents and their own psychological distress was stronger among Hispanic emerging adult children than among their non-Hispanic peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study how adult offspring in planned lesbian-parent families relate to their unknown or known donors.Design: Qualitative analyses of the sixth wave of online surveys from a longitudinal study of adult offspring in planned lesbian families, enrolled at conception.Setting: Community-based United States national study.Patient(s): The 76 participants were 25-year-old donor insemination (DI) offspring whose lesbian parent(s) enrolled in a prospective longitudinal study when these offspring were conceived.Intervention(s): None.Main Outcome Measure(s): Offspring were asked about donor type, feelings about permanently unknown donor, satisfaction with and role of known donor, whether relationship with known donor was ongoing, and age of meeting open-identity donor.Result(s): This cohort (n = 76) of DI offspring with lesbian parents was among the first generation to reach adulthood. Thirty participants had permanently unknown donors and most participants felt comfortable about not knowing them. Sixteen participants had open-identity donors they had not met. Thirty had currently known donors-met in childhood (n = 22) or after open-identity donor disclosure (n = 8)-of whom two thirds had ongoing relationships with donors, half considered their donors as acquaintances, and nearly half had good feelings about their relationship, although a minority expressed conflicted feelings.Conclusion(s): This study of adult DI offspring from planned lesbian families shows that those who knew their donors mainly felt positively about these relationships. Qualitative analyses offered insight into offspring-donor relationships, whose numbers are increasing due to historical and demographic trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid change in the family support structure in developing countries could jeopardize the concept of reciprocal support an older adult receives in later life. This study explored the perception of reciprocity between older parents and adult children on intergenerational support in Northern Nigeria. We purposely selected 18 participants and conducted face-to-face interviews. We analyzed the data using descriptive phenomenological method analysis. Three major themes emerged: characteristics of support, perceived support given and received to/from children, and perceived indebtedness/credit. Financial support is one of the most common types of support received by older adults. The perceived support given to adult children was expressed as "huge and sacrificial" by older adults. The adult children felt they are providing less support than they have received from their parents and expressed the feeling of indebtedness to their older parents. Generally, adult children perceived the need to reciprocate past support received from their older parents. The perception of reciprocity remains strong among Nigerians and plays a vital role in promoting intergenerational support between older parents and adult children. We discuss the implications of the findings, including the role of professionals to promote provision of other forms of support to older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through the use of purposive sampling and the grounded theory method, this qualitative study delineates factors that promote adaptation and end family patterns of violence and dysfunction in the case of resilient adult daughters of abused women (N = 29). Coping processes included distancing from the family, seeking understanding and acceptance, and finding meaning and purpose. Motivating factors included learning what not to do from their families and breaking the cycle of violence and dysfunction from occurring in their adult lives. We learn how daughters of abused women may create a life informed, rather than directed, by their childhood adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the prevalence of co-residence of adult children and their parents across Europe, there is only limited empirical evidence on the impact of such living arrangements on well-being. This paper investigates the impact of adult children living in the household on the well-being of Spanish parents aged 50-75. Using three waves of panel data from the Spanish Survey of Household Finances we assess whether the impact on parental well-being differs depending on the age of the child, and whether the effect depends on the gender of the parent. We find that there is a negative impact on parents' well-being of older adult children (aged 30 or over) living in the household, while cohabitation with younger children (aged 18-29) is not found to affect parental well-being. When analysing the impact on mothers and fathers separately we find that the negative effect of older children living in the household is driven by a significant reduction in the well-being of mothers, with no evidence of a corresponding effect on fathers. The negative effect on mothers' well-being seems to be related to co-residence with older sons rather than older daughters. • Co-residing with older adult children is found to lower Spanish parents' well-being. • This effect is driven by a negative impact on the well-being of mothers. • The negative impact appears to be related to co-residence with older sons. • Co-residing with younger adult children is not found to affect well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study adds to the existing knowledge about adult children of parents with mental illness. The aim was to explore differences between adult children of parents with mental illness and parents in the general population on a range of adult relationship and parenting variables. Utilizing a cross‐sectional design, 86 adults across Australia participated in this study (47 general population; 39 adult children of parents with mental illness). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and parametric tests. Adult children of parents with mental illness were found to be more permissive in their parenting compared with parents in the general population. However, between‐group differences were not found on measures of parenting competence, adult attachment, and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that adult children of parents with mental illness are able to thrive just as well as individuals in the general population but may require some support in the form of parental skills training. The paper concludes by highlighting the role of mental health professionals in the empowerment and resilience building of adult children of parents with mental illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aims: To identify what factors are associated with the caregiver burden of spouse caregivers, adult child caregivers, and parent caregivers. Background: Caregivers often feel stressed and perceive caregiving as a burden. The caregiver burden has been little studied from the perspective of the personal relationship between caregiver and care recipient. Design: Cross‐sectional study. Methods: A random sample of 4,000 caregivers in Finland was drawn in 2014 and those who remained either spouse, adult child, or parent caregivers at data collection were included in the analysis (N = 1,062). Data collection included recipients’ characteristics. Caregivers’ perceived burden was measured using the Caregivers of Older People in Europe index. General linear models were used to explain perceived caregiver burden. Results: Care recipients’ low level of cognitive function was associated with greater perceived burden. Higher quality of support was associated with lower perceived burden among female and male spouse caregivers, daughter caregivers, and mother caregivers. Low cognitive function explained 3–6% and high quality of support 2–5% of the total variation in the burden explained by the models, which ranged between 45–55%. Conclusion: Because cognitive challenges of care recipient are associated with greater perceived burden and high quality of support with lower burden among most of the caregiver groups, high‐quality tailored nursing interventions will be needed especially for the caregivers of the most frail care recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focused on the relationship between parent–child religious discordance (affiliation, intensity, and attendance) in early adulthood and children’s perceived affectual and associational solidarity with their parents across 20 years. The data derived from eight waves of the Longitudinal Study of Generations between 1971 and 2005. We selected 635 young adult children whose mothers and/or fathers also reported their religious orientations in 1971 and then constructed mother–child dyads (n = 584) and father–child dyads (n = 475). Results showed that religious affiliation discordance between parents and children negatively and consistently lowered children’s affectual and associational solidarity with parents over several decades regardless of parents’ gender. However, intergenerational discordance in religious intensity and religious attendance showed no such association. These findings indicate that discontinuity in denominational identification is more disruptive to intergenerational relations than discontinuity in religious strength and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Offspring of patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders are at high risk of developing a similar disorder themselves. Early recognition and treatment may have substantial effects on prognosis. The main aim of this study was to examine the time to initial help-seeking and its determinants in offspring after the first onset of a mood and/or anxiety disorder.Methods: Data are presented of 215 offspring with a mood and/or anxiety disorder participating in a cohort study with 10 year follow-up. We determined age of disorder onset and age of initial help-seeking. Offspring characteristics (gender, IQ, age of onset, disorder type, suicidal ideation) and family characteristics (socioeconomic status, family functioning) were investigated as potential predictors of the time to initial help-seeking.Results: The estimated overall proportion of offspring of depressed/anxious patients who eventually seek help after onset of a mood and/or anxiety disorder was 91.9%. The time to initial help-seeking was more than two years in 39.6% of the offspring. Being female, having a mood disorder or comorbid mood and anxiety disorder (relative to anxiety) and a disorder onset in adolescence or adulthood (relative to childhood) predicted a shorter time to initial help-seeking.Limitations: Baseline information relied on retrospective reports. Age of onsets and age of initial help-seeking may therefore be subject to recall bias.Conclusion: Although most offspring eventually seek help after onset of a mood/anxiety disorder, delays in help-seeking were common, especially in specific subgroups of patients. This information may help to develop targeted strategies to reduce help-seeking delays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Midlife adults report greater investment in their children than in their parents, and these ties have important implications for well-being. To date, little research has addressed daily experiences in these ties. The present study examines daily experiences (negative and positive) with aging parents and adult children and their associations with daily negative affect and diurnal cortisol rhythms. Participants were middle-aged adults (N = 156; 56% women) from Wave 2 of the Family Exchanges Study, conducted in 2013, who completed a 7-day daily diary study, which included assessments of daily negative and positive social encounters and negative affect, and 4 days of saliva collection, which was collected 3 times a day (upon waking, 30 min after waking, and at bedtime) and assayed for cortisol. Multilevel models revealed that individuals were more likely to have contact with adult children than with parents but more likely to have negative experiences (negative interactions, avoidance, negative thoughts) with parents than with adult children. Nevertheless, contact and negative experiences with adult children were more consistently associated with negative affect and daily cortisol patterns than were interactions with parents. Findings are consistent with the intergenerational stake hypothesis, which suggests that individuals have a greater stake in their children than in their parents. Indeed, negative experiences with adult children may be more salient because tensions with adult children occur less frequently than do tensions with parents. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postponed marriage is a general trend among today’s Chinese young people. However, since in traditional Chinese culture, marriage has been regarded as a family responsibility, when adult children reach a certain age, their parents often push them for marriage. In recent years, some retired parents in China’s major cities voluntarily organized matchmaking markets in parks to exchange their single adult children’s personal information in order to “help” the latter find spouse. Most of these matchmaking markets are only attended by parents, whose adult children remain single in their late 20s and beyond. Through a field research on matchmaking events held in four parks in Beijing, it was found that young women’s parents significantly outnumbered young men’s parents. Younger age and good physical appearance are considered as “assets” for women, while men’s most valued “capital” are better education, higher income, and wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of divorce in Western countries has increased in recent decades. However, there is no recent systematic review and/or meta-analysis of studies testing for long-term effects of parental divorce on offspring affective disorders. The present study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies published since 1980 testing for the association between parental divorce and offspring depression and anxiety in adulthood.Method: PUBMED, Science Direct, Medline, PsychInfo, and PsychArticles databases were searched for eligible studies. Random-effect meta-analyses were used to synthesize effect sizes and to test whether associations of parental divorce with offspring affective disorders differed among three publication periods (i.e., before 1996, 1996-2005, 2006-2015).Results: In total, 29 studies were eligible for the systematic review, and 18 studies were included in the meta-analyses (depression: n=21,581; anxiety: n=2472). There was significant association between parental divorce and offspring depression (OR=1.56; 95%CI [1.31, 1.86]), but not anxiety (OR=1.16; 95%CI [0.98, 1.38]). The effect of parental divorce on offspring depression was not weaker in the reports published in more recent decades.Limitations: There is limited research in relation to offspring anxiety in adulthood.Conclusions: Parental divorce is associated with an increased risk of adult offspring depression, with no indication of the effect being weaker in recent publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing number of older people and the dissemination of health information via the Internet have emerged and both are challenging to Chinese society. Available online health information highlights the importance of decision making processes, specially in relation to the elderly who almost have no online presence and depend on their adult children's help. The researchers mostly focus on parents' health information search for their children, however, they overlook the adult children's intention to use online health information for their aged parents.Objective: This study fills this gap by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify the determinants of adult children's intention to use online health information for their aged parents.Method: Relying on survey method, the data were collected from teachers and students at different participating Universities in Wuhan, China. The Partial Least Squares (PLS), a structural equation modeling technique, was employed to test the research model.Results: This study found that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and risk (p<0.05) were the predictors of intention to use online health information, whereas, trust (p>0.05) was not listed among the predictors.Conclusions: This study is a significant addition to the literature, in that it confirms the utility of the TPB with additional variables in predicting adults' children intention to use online health information for their aged parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Given that anxiety runs in families, it is critical to understand the cognitive factors that may be responsible for this intergenerational transmission. The present study offers a first step by exploring the link between mother and father tendencies to view potentially threatening situations as rapidly escalating toward dreaded outcomes (i.e., looming cognitive style) and the emotional disturbances and looming cognitive styles of their adult offspring.Methods: We assessed cognitive vulnerabilities, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in a non-clinical sample (N = 382) of Italian college students and their parents.Results: The looming cognitive style of fathers, but not mothers, was significantly related to greater anxiety in adult offspring. This finding was obtained for both sons and daughters, and remained even after statistically controlling for the anxiety, worry, depressive symptoms, and anxiety sensitivity (AS) of parents). Notably, the association between fathers' looming cognitive style and offspring symptoms was not related to their child's depressive symptoms, and similar to prior work, served as a cognitive marker specific to anxiety.Limitations: The present study relied on a cross-sectional design and did not use clients diagnosed with anxiety disorders.Conclusions: The findings suggest that it may prove fruitful to consider parental vulnerabilities such as looming cognitive styles in comprehensive cognitive and interpersonal models of anxiety. The intergenerational transmission of emotional difficulties seems to extend beyond anxiety to beliefs about the escalation of threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has indicated that parents impact minor children's health behaviors and adult children's self-rated health and psychological well-being. However, little is known about the long-term consequences of the parent-child relationship for adult children's substance (i.e., smoking levels, low to moderate alcohol use) as adult children age. The present study uses growth curve analysis on longitudinal survey data (Americans' Changing Lives, N=907) to examine how multiple dimensions of the parent-child tie influence adult children's substance use. Findings show that contact with mothers in adulthood has a health-enhancing effect on sons' smoking. Fathers' support is related to a decline in alcohol use for sons and daughters, but also an increase in smoking for sons only. Our findings for strain from parents are complex, suggesting that the ways in which adult children cope and manage strain with parents may result in multiple pathways of substance use. Our study raises new questions about whether and when family ties are "good" or "bad" for health and calls for a more multifaceted view of the long-lasting parent-child tie. We spotlight the need to look at the parent-child relationship as a dynamic social tie that changes over the life course and has consequences for health in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging-adult cortisol response during family interaction predicts change in emerging-adult anxious behavior during the transition to college (Gans & Johnson, in press). In the present study, we take an additional step toward integrating family systems research and physiology by including assessment of parent physiology. We collect salivary cortisol from parents and emerging adults during triadic family interaction. Emerging adults (N = 101) between the ages of 17 and 19 years were assessed at 3 time points across their first college year: the summer before college and the Fall and Spring semesters. Two parents accompanied the emerging-adult child to the summer assessment; all family members provided 4 saliva samples each at 20-min intervals. Later assessments of emerging adults included measures of internalizing behaviors. Parents' cortisol secretion patterns during family interaction predict their emerging-adult children's cortisol secretion pattern, parent perceptions of the family environment, and emerging-adult children's internalizing behavior during the college transition. Different patterns of results emerged for mothers' and fathers' cortisol response to family interaction and for families with sons or with daughters. The approach taken by this study provides a first step toward understanding how interrelationships among elements of physiology and family functioning contribute to adjustment during major life transitions. (PsycINFO Database Record [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although cancer patients with minor children have become more of a focus of psycho-oncological research, little is known about specific parenting concerns. Instruments to assess the concerns and worries of parents with cancer are rare. The Parenting Concerns Questionnaire (PCQ) addresses this issue. We analyzed parenting concerns in cancer survivors and evaluated the German version of the PCQ.Methods: A total of 1416 cancer survivors with minor and young adult children (≤21 years) were recruited in a register-based study. Descriptive analyses as well as reliability and validity analyses were conducted. We performed a confirmatory factorial analysis of the factor structure proposed by the authors of the original version on the PCQ.Results: Seventy-three percent of the cancer survivors were women, average age was 47.5 years (SD 5.9). Mean time since diagnosis was 44 months (SD 23.4). Between 18 and 31% of survivors reported that they were concerned about their children. The PCQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument showing medium correlations with standardized measures in expected directions and discriminating between survivors with and without use of psychosocial support services. The factor structure was supported by the confirmatory factorial analysis.Conclusions: Assessing parenting concerns gives an additional insight into the situation of parents with cancer. In our sample of cancer survivors, we identified one out of three survivors being concerned regarding the impact of their illness on their children. The PCQ can be considered as a valid and reliable instrument with regard to identifying concerned parents with cancer. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 1979 One-Child Policy in China created a generation of only children, leading to increased elder care dilemmas for this generation and its aging parents, particularly for young adults studying or working abroad. The current study used in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Chinese young adults who were currently studying or working in Montreal, Canada (N = 20), whose parents still lived in China. The interviews focused on the following topics: elder care patterns of respondents' grandparents; family values and expectations; perceptions of professional long-term care institutions (in China and Canada); and future plans for taking care of aging parents. Respondents described their grandparents' care as following traditional elder care patterns with multiple familial caregivers, which they appreciated as a positive model that defined their own obligations towards parents. Respondents reported being very close to their parents. Some planned to settle down in Canada and bring their parents, others planned to go back to China. Citing the tradition of filial piety, they expected to take care of their parents in the future, but they also considered the dilemmas involved in caring for aging parents without siblings to share the task, potentially requiring them to find compromises between their personal lives and caring for older parents. Those who planned to settle in Canada raised additional concerns about the challenges of bringing over their parents, including acculturation and access to and communication with health and long-term care providers. The results are discussed in the context of contemporary demographic, economic, and policy concerns about aging, family care, and immigration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important avenue for smoking deterrence may be through familial ties if adult smokers respond to parental health shocks. In this paper, we merge the Original Cohort and the Offspring Cohort of the Framingham Heart Study to study how adult offspring smoking behavior and subjective health assessments vary with elder parent smoking behavior and health outcomes. These data allow us to model the smoking behavior of adult offspring over a 30-year period contemporaneously with parental behaviors and outcomes. We find strong 'like father, like son' and 'like mother, like daughter' correlations in smoking behavior. We find that adult offspring significantly curtail their own smoking following an own health shock; however, we find limited evidence that offspring smoking behavior is sensitive to parent health, with the notable exception that women significantly reduce both their smoking participation and intensity following a smoking-related cardiovascular event of a parent. We also model the subjective health assessment of adult offspring as a function of parent health, and we find that women report significantly worse health following the smoking-related death of a parent. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined parent-child relationship quality and positive mental well-being using Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development data. Well-being was measured at ages 13–15 (teacher-rated happiness), 36 (life satisfaction), 43 (satisfaction with home and family life) and 60–64 years (Diener Satisfaction With Life scale and Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale). The Parental Bonding Instrument captured perceived care and control from the father and mother to age 16, recalled by study members at age 43. Greater well-being was seen for offspring with higher combined parental care and lower combined parental psychological control (p < 0.05 at all ages). Controlling for maternal care and paternal and maternal behavioural and psychological control, childhood social class, parental separation, mother’s neuroticism and study member’s personality, higher well-being was consistently related to paternal care. This suggests that both mother–child and father–child relationships may have short and long-term consequences for positive mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although previous research based on data from the U.S. suggests that parents' widowhood is associated with increased emotional support from children, little is known about the impact of late-life widowhood on intergenerational relationships in other cultures. Using data of Korean older adults, this paper examined: (1) the effect of widowhood on both positive and negative aspects of parent-child relationships and (2) whether these effects are moderated by older adults' expectations about children's filial responsibilities and the geographic proximity to their children. Analyses are based on data from the Hallym Aging Study, a stratified multi-stage probability sample of older adults living in the cities of Seoul and Chuncheon in Korea. Compared to married older adults, widowed persons in this sample reported higher levels of ambivalence, lower levels of positive interactions, and higher levels of negative interactions with their children. Parents' notion about filial responsibilities did not have a significant moderating effect, whereas geographic proximity to children was a significant moderator. Findings suggest that widowhood is associated with greater strain in intergenerational relationships in Korea. Helping widowed older adults forge constructive relationships with their children may enhance both bereaved older adults' and their children's well-being in this cultural milieu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although several studies have looked at the phenomenon of online memorialization, online involvement of those bereaved by suicide (suicide survivors) remains an understudied area. The current study analyzed 250 memorials dedicated to those who died by suicide on two memorialization Web sites: Faces of Suicide and Gone too Soon. The majority of the memorials was posted by family members of the deceased and had a format of a letter or an obituary. Though the memorials were written for both males and females of all ages, 80% of the messages were written for young males. Fourteen themes were identified, ranging from sadness and expressions of love and other grief reactions of the bereaved, to acknowledgment of suicide and search for reasons for the death. Some of the bereaved wrote about their motives for posting an online memorial. Future studies should determine the impact of involvement in online memorialization on the grief process of suicide survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Aims To study relationship management strategies of daughters in conflicted relationships with their mothers and how they promoted or prevented elder abuse. Background Daughters have enduring, unique relationships with their mothers that often carry over into caregiving. Pre-caregiving relationship quality is related to many caregiving outcomes, although it is unclear how. Design Qualitative study. Methods Grounded theory design, informed by feminism, with telephone interviews conducted between January 2013-July 2013. The sample ( N = 13) was recruited through an online recruitment strategy, with advertisements posted on relevant websites asking 'Are you in an abusive relationship with your ageing mother?' Results/findings Daughters used coping strategies and self-protective strategies aimed at decreasing their exposure to aggression and emotional distress when interacting with their ageing mothers. Daughters also used spiteful aggression out of the desire for revenge. Conclusion Although the daughters' strategies served their personal needs, they jeopardized the mothers' needs by creating an environment where neglect could occur. Daughters also readily and intentionally used aggression against their mothers. These were strategies daughters have found useful. These strategies may be potential areas for designing interventions to promote healthy family relationships and decrease the occurrence of elder abuse and neglect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this study was to examine the potential intergenerational transmission of social skills and psychosocial problems (i.e., loneliness and anxiety) among a sample of 255 father-mother-adult child triads. These associations, along with the indirect effects of social skills and psychosocial problems, were examined using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that fathers' social skills and loneliness are predictive of their adult children's social skills, mothers' loneliness is predictive of their adult children's loneliness; and fathers' and mothers' anxiety is predictive of their adult children's anxiety. Additionally, lower social skills were significantly associated with greater loneliness and anxiety for all family members. Finally, there was no evidence of indirect effects for parents' social skills or psychosocial problems on their adult children's social skills or psychosocial problems, through parents' psychosocial problems or adult child social skill, respectively. Implications for social skills and psychosocial problems on a family level are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicidal ideation predicts suicide behaviors; however, research is needed on risk factors for suicidal ideation in adults, a common developmental period for first suicide attempts. Aims: To examine childhood and concurrent predictors of suicidal ideation among 340 adult offspring of depressed and matched control parents. Method: Parents were assessed at baseline, and adult offspring were assessed 23 years later. Results: Offspring who reported past-month suicidal ideation (7%) had parents who, 23 years earlier, reported suicidal ideation, psychological inflexibility and use of avoidance coping. Offspring experiencing suicidal ideation were more likely to be unemployed and more depressed, consumed more alcohol and had more drinking problems. They were more anxious and inflexible, had weaker social ties and less cohesive families and had more negative life events and used more avoidance coping. A childhood risk index predicted offspring's suicidal ideation above and beyond concurrent factors. Conclusions: Along with concurrent risk factors, poor parental functioning may confer long-term risk for adult suicidal ideation. Interventions to prevent the transmission of suicidal ideation to offspring should focus on ameliorating parental risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation examined how parents' and adult children's behavioral manifestations of shyness are associated with perceived family communication. A theoretical model predicted that shyness would be negatively associated with social skills, and socials skills would, in turn, be positively associated with perceived family communication. Participants included 111 parent-adult child dyads. Parents and adult children completed measures of shyness, social skills, and perceived family communication in an online questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling indicated that, as predicted, parent and adult child shyness were negatively associated with their own social skills. In addition, adult children's social skills were significantly associated with perceived family communication, but their parents' social skills were not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Popular media describe adverse effects of helicopter parents who provide intense support to grown children, but few studies have examined implications of such intense support. Grown children (N = 592, M age = 23.82 years, 53% female, 35% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) and their parents (N = 399, M age = 50.67 years, 52% female; 34% members of racial/ethnic minority groups) reported on the support they exchanged with one another. Intense support involved parents' providing several types of support (e.g., financial, advice, emotional) many times a week. Parents and grown children who engaged in such frequent support viewed it as nonnormative (i.e., too much support), but grown children who received intense support reported better psychological adjustment and life satisfaction than grown children who did not receive intense support. Parents who perceived their grown children as needing too much support reported poorer life satisfaction. The discussion focuses on generational differences in the implications of intense parental involvement during young adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This feasibility study examines whether the theory of planned behavior can predict supportive behavior provided by either parents to their offspring—or adult siblings to their brothers and sisters—with an intellectual disability living in 2 Israeli institutional care facilities. Participants were 67 parents and 63 siblings who were interviewed at baseline regarding their intentions to visit their offspring or sibling in the institutional care facility, to contact the caregiving staff, and to accept visits at home. Parents' and siblings' behavior regarding visitation and supportive behavior was examined after 6 months by caregiving staff. Core findings indicated that subjective norms in siblings and parents predicted frequency of home visits. Perceived behavioral control predicted frequency of contact between siblings and staff. Differences between parents and siblings regarding their supportive behaviors are discussed with respect to social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. This study investigated predictors of discrepancies in reports of 5 types of support that aging parents and their middle-aged children exchanged with one another. Predictors included structural factors, including needs and resources and dyadic characteristics, and psychological factors, including family obligation and investment in the relationship. Methods. Participants included 337 dyads of parents (aged 59–96 years) and their children (aged 40–60 years). Multilevel models assessed the level of discrepancies between dyadic members and examined predictors accounting for the discrepancies. We considered downward (from parent to child) and upward (from child to parent) directions in support exchanges. Results. For upward support from adult children to their parents, children reported that they gave more than their aging parents reported receiving. For downward support from parents to children, the results differed depending on the type of support. Discrepancies between parents’ and children’s reports were associated with parents’ feelings of obligation toward children and children’s ratings of the importance of parent–child relationship. Discussion. These results suggest the importance of considering multiple perspectives and the direction of exchanges between generations. Discrepancies in reports of support reflect both self-enhancement and family context and may be an important source of misunderstanding and conflict between generations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]