Examining the social context in the caregiving experience: correlates of global self-esteem among adult daughter caregivers to an older parent with cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the associations between various patient, disease, situation, and caregiver characteristics (organized by five conceptual domains) and global self-esteem among caregiver daughters to parents with cancer.


METHODS
Dyads comprised of 237 cancer outpatients and their adult caregiving daughter completed structured telephone interviews.


RESULTS
Two of the five domains of potential correlates significantly predicted caregiving daughters' global self-esteem-daughters' sociodemographics and constraints on/facilitators of caregiving. Daughters' overall sense of self-worth was directly correlated with their household income and inversely correlated with greater depressive affect and the number of patient needs for which someone else provided assistance. It was also correlated with the daughters' other role obligations. A higher sense of self-worth was associated with either being employed or having to care for a child/grandchild; a lower sense of self-worth was associated with having a spouse/partner.


CONCLUSIONS
The present analysis documents the complexity of social connectedness, demonstrating that various role obligations contribute to caregiving daughters' global self-esteem in different ways. In the context of assuming cancer careprovision, daughters' existing repertoire of social roles may possibly mediate the stress associated with their care involvement or serve as a buffer against the strain of the caregiving experience.
Bachner
Yaacov G
YG
Department of Sociology of Health and Gerontoloty, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, PO Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel. bachner@bgu.ac.il
Karus
Daniel G
DG
Raveis
Victoria H
VH
D000328:Adult; D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D009369:Neoplasms; D009679:Nuclear Family / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D012961:Sociology; D014481:United States; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*