Caregiver Strain in Families of Children with Serious Emotional Disturbance: Does Relationship to Child Make a Difference?

With the prevalence of kinship care increasing, it is critical to understand the role of caregiver strain among this population. This study focused on the strain experienced by relative caregivers as compared to parents who were caring for children with serious emotional disturbance (SED). Descriptive and multiple regression analyses demonstrated that both caregiver groups reported similar amounts of elevated strain, with the exception that parent caregivers of children with SED reported more subjective internalized strain than did other relative caregivers. The child welfare system, providers of behavioral health services, and policy-makers need to pay closer attention to this special population of caregivers and the children in their care. (Contains 4 tables.)