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Stress and coping in African‐American grandparents who are raising their grandchildren
Author(s) -
Trail Ross Mary Ellen
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2004.187_12.x
Subject(s) - grandparent , coping (psychology) , distancing , psychology , clinical psychology , stress management , developmental psychology , medicine , covid-19 , disease , pathology , infectious disease (medical specialty)
This research study investigated the degree of stress in 50 African‐American grandparents (mean age 63.12 years) who are raising their grandchildren. It also identified coping strategies utilized by grandparents, the importance of caregiver characteristics, the caregiving situation, and specific coping strategies that influence their degree of stress. Data were collected via interview at area senior centers and churches. The instruments used to measure stress and coping were the Parenting Stress Index (Abidin) and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Folkman and Lazarus). Ninety‐four percent of grandparents reported a ‘clinically significant’ level of stress. Counseling, special school programs, and length of caregiving were associated with lower stress. Coping strategies significantly correlated with less stress were accepting responsibility, confrontive coping, self‐control, positive reappraisal, planful problem‐solving, and distancing. This study suggests the need for counseling, support groups, and education related to resources, parenting, stress management and coping.