The relationship between mothers and daughters has been shown to be generally positive and strong throughout the life cycle. The relationship may become strained, however, as mothers become dependent due to deteriorating health or chronic health conditions. It has long been recognized in both the gerontological and intergenerational literatures that caring for a dependent elderly parent can be burdensome and stressful for some caregiving adult daughters. Using the elaborated wear-and-tear hypothesis, this study examined longitudinally the impact of the amount of care given on 140 caregiving daughters' perception of the quality of their relationship with their elderly dependent mothers. It was hypothesized that increases in the amount of care given by caregiving daughters over time would lead to a corresponding decrease in relationship quality. It was also hypothesized that relationship quality and amount of care given would be stable over time. Results indicated that providing more care does decrease relationship quality between caregiving daughters and care-receiving mothers over time although it does not do so initially. Further, the results of study showed that relationship quality and amount of care given, on average, are stable over time. / Graduation date: 1997

It is well established that family members, particularly adult children, are involved in their frail parents' decision making. It remains unclear however, how intergenerational decision-making influence is exercised and how it relates to personal and relationship characteristics. This study examined the impact of decision-making strategies and a mother's level of dependence on her daughter on perceived relationship quality as measured by intimacy. The purposive sample consisted of 64 pairs of elderly mothers and their caregiving daughters. Face-to-face interviews explored the connections of various decision-making influence strategies, demographic characteristics, and relationship quality. Mother's level of dependence on her daughter for assistance was measured by a list of 53 caregiving tasks and activities. A series of four multiple regression analyses was used to predict relationship quality from the decision-making influence strategies (i.e., option-seeking, overt negative, covert negative, positive) used by elderly mothers and their caregiving daughters and mother's level of dependence on her daughter. The factors that were most predictive of mothers' perceived intimacy were: (a) mothers' reported use of positive decision-making strategies (e.g., asking partner how she feels, imagining her feelings) and mothers' reported use of fewer covert negative strategies (e.g., ignoring the need for a decision, withholding support); and (b) daughters' reported use of fewer overt negative strategies (e.g., showing anger, irritation, criticizing). The factors that were most predictive of daughters' perceived intimacy were: (a) daughters' reported use of fewer overt negative strategies (e.g., showing anger, irritation, criticizing); (b) daughters' reported use of positive influence strategies (e.g., asking partner how she feels, imagining her feelings); and (c) mothers' reported use of positive strategies (e.g., asking how she feels, trying to imagine her feelings). Mother's level of dependence on her daughter was not found to be predictive of mothers' or daughters' perceived intimacy. These results as well as recommendations for future research and practice are presented. / Graduation date: 1993

The increasing elderly population is creating a greater need for care providers. Research indicates that while caregiving can be rewarding, it can also generate stress which, in turn, impacts individual well-being. Social support, however, may foster the well-being of persons who are experiencing stressful events. The purpose of this study was to examine the contribution of perceived social support from close family (siblings, spouse, and children) and background characteristics to well-being for a sample of women caring for mothers who were not cognitively impaired. The sample for this study (N=65) was drawn from a larger five year western Oregon study of women caregivers (Walker, 1986), and included only those women who: participated during the third year of the larger study; were married; and had at least one child and one sibling. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews. Pearson correlations and multiple regressions were used to assess the contribution of family support and background characteristics to well-being. Well-being, as measured by the CES-D scale, was the dependent variable in all regressions. The independent variables included the caregiver's self-reported health, and her perceptions of support (measured by supportiveness, positivity of contact, and conflict) from siblings, spouse, and children. Overall, results from this study indicated that women caregivers' perceptions of relationships with close family did impact their well-being. While measures designed to tap supportiveness and positivity of contact were not significantly related to well-being, conflict was. Specifically, conflict with a spouse was associated with lower well-being. Second to conflict with a spouse, respondent's health was the strongest predictor of wellbeing: poor health was significantly associated with lower well-being. In general, recommendations and implications focused on the need for: (a) repeating this type of research among other caregiver populations; (b) developing multidimensional measures of family support; (c) services that provide individuals with positive ways to deal with lifetensions that foster interpersonal conflict; and (d) services that target caregivers who are in poor health. / Graduation date: 1992