title: Patterns of intergenerational exchange and mental health.
abstract: Past research on intergenerational exchanges suggests that parents and adult children remain vitally involved in supportive exchanges in later life. What has not been examined is the long-term importance of patterns of intergenerational exchange for individual mental health and well-being. Using data drawn from the two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households on adults aged 50 and older (N = 2237, MAge = 62.3), we tested hypotheses derived from three theoretical explanations of the relationship between exchange patterns and psychological well-being. We found strong evidence for the importance of contingent exchanges between parents and adult children in promoting older adults' psychological well-being. Whereas receiving contingent exchange has positive consequences, noncontingent giving can have negative consequences around specific transitions in the lives of parents and children.
authors.affiliation: University of Georgia, USA. adavey@spock.fcs.uga.edu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Eggebeen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support