Adult Children's Problems and Mothers' Well-Being.
This article explores whether understanding of the effects of children's problems on older parents' well-being can be advanced by exploring differences in parent-child relationships within families. Using data from a study in which mothers reported on all adult children, we addressed the question: Do patterns of maternal favoritism moderate the impact of children's problems on psychological well-being? Based on the literature on the effects of children's problems and on parental favoritism, we hypothesized that problems in the lives of favored adult children will have a more detrimental impact than when they affect unfavored offspring. Results revealed strong and detrimental effects of any offspring's problems on mothers' well-being; these effects occurred, however, regardless of parental preference for an adult child. The findings suggest that the well-documented effects of parental preference may be limited in domains such as problems and difficult transitions in adult children's lives.
1 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Karl
K
Pillemer
2 Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
J Jill
JJ
Suitor
1 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Catherine
C
Riffin
3 Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
Megan
M
Gilligan
D032721:Adult Children / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008404:Massachusetts; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*
family; older adults; parent–adult child relations