title: Personal growth and the transition to grandfatherhood.
abstract: The study examined personal growth among new grandfathers (n = 101, age 45-67), 2 to 24 months after the birth of their first grandchild. Specifically, it investigated the contribution of internal resources (self-esteem), perceived characteristics of the situation (grandparenthood distress and cognitive appraisals of threat, challenge, and self-efficacy), and external resources (perceived marital relationship) to the experience of growth. Associations with several background variables, including age, education, health and economic status, grandchild's age, and frequency of grandfather-grandchild meetings, were also examined. The results showed that lower internal resources, a positive assessment of the situation, and lower education were most closely associated with a higher experience of growth in first-time grandfathers. The discussion relates to the uniqueness of focusing on grandfathers and the potential for personal growth in this new family role.
authors.affiliation: The Louis and Gabi Weisfeld School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. taubman@biu.ac.il
authors.forename: Orit
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Taubman-Ben-ari
authors.forename: Liora
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Findler
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben Shlomo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D007557:Israel; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires