Caregiver role strain: the contribution of multiple roles and available resources in African-American women.
While the roles of spouse, parent, and employee are normative for middle-aged adults, strain associated with each role may increase when the role of caregiver is added. The objectives of the present study were to determine: (1). what is the relationship between the caregiver's other roles (marital, parental, employee), specific combinations of these roles, and role strain; and (2). what is the relationship between available resources (economic, social, and personal) and role strain? The study participants were 148 African-American females who provided care to elderly family members. A model using multiple linear regression was analyzed. Caregivers with higher depressive symptomatology were more strained. However, neither additional multiple roles, nor a combination of roles were significantly related to role strain. African-American caregivers experienced a wide range of caregiver role strain. It would be a disservice to African-American caregivers to operate under the assumption that they provide care with little emotional cost. Continued within group analyses are needed to understand differential outcomes of these caregivers.
Center on Minority Aging, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Sharon_Williams@unc.edu
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Wallace Williams
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Dilworth-Anderson
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Goodwin
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D040841:Resource Allocation; D012380:Role; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology*; D016387:Women's Health