title: The effects of familism and cultural justification on the mental and physical health of family caregivers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to examine the effects of 2 factors of familism (Familial Obligations and Expected Support from the Family) and Cultural Justification on caregivers' mental and physical health as mediated by coping style.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a probability sample of 95 African American and 65 White family caregivers for people with dementia to test hypotheses based on the updated sociocultural stress and coping model using path analysis. Main outcome measures included depressive symptomatology, various psychological symptoms, and subjective physical health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both Familial Obligations and Cultural Justification had an indirect effect on poor mental health and subjective physical health via avoidant coping. Expected Support from the Family had no effect on caregivers' health outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that feelings of obligation may be accounting for a significant proportion of the negative effects of familism on caregivers' mental and subjective physical health. Expectations of familial social support may be relatively inconsequential in this process.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1061, USA. psayegh@usc.edu
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sayegh
authors.forename: Bob G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Knight
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003704:Dementia / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D005195:Family Relations / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology; D044465:White People
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