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THE INFLUENCE OF CAREGIVING STRESSORS, SOCIAL SUPPORT, AND CAREGIVING APPRAISAL ON MARITAL FUNCTIONING AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN WIFE CAREGIVERS
Author(s) -
Chadiha Letha A.,
Rafferty Jane,
Pickard Joseph
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.2003.tb01690.x
Subject(s) - psychology , wife , stressor , social support , coping (psychology) , clinical psychology , marital status , medicine , social psychology , population , environmental health , political science , law
Using a stress and coping framework, we examined the influence of caregiving stressors, social support, and caregiving appraisal on the marital functioning of 100 african American wife caregivers. Results of separate multivariate analyses revealed received church support, caregiving burden, and caregiving satisfaction significantly predicted wives' marital functioning when caregivers' background characteristics (age and education), length of caregiving, whether first marriage, and urban versus rural location were controlled. Receiving church support was associated with increased marital functioning. Lower levels of caregiving burden were associated with increased marital functioning. Higher levels of caregiving satisfaction were associated with increased marital functioning. Findings illuminate wives' caregiving and marital experiences, and have implications for family therapy and future research.