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Full-Text Articles in Social Work
Grandmother Kinship Care Providers: Predictors Of Elevated Psychological Distress, Deborah M. Whitley
Grandmother Kinship Care Providers: Predictors Of Elevated Psychological Distress, Deborah M. Whitley
Deborah M. Whitley
Most children in kinship care with grandmothers in the U.S. have been abandoned or maltreated. The challenges these caregivers encounter often include poverty, social isolation, and diminished health. These factors may hinder the grandmother’s ability to provide a supportive family environment. The purpose of the present study was to determine levels of psychological distress in African American caregiving grandmothers and identify predictors of increased distress in African American custodial grandmothers. We hypothesized that diminished grandmother health, family resources and support, as well as increased child behavior problems, will predict psychological distress.
Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: Are They At Increased Risk Of Health Problems, Deborah Whitley, Susan Kelley
Grandmothers Raising Grandchildren: Are They At Increased Risk Of Health Problems, Deborah Whitley, Susan Kelley
Deborah M. Whitley
Many grandparents faced with the need to raise their grandchildren have health risks that could destabilize any family structure established for the child. This is especially problematic for grandparents of color who have higher health risk factors than their white counterparts. This article describes the physical and mental health status and behaviors of 100 African American grandmothers who are the primary caretakers for their grandchildren. The findings suggest the physical functioning of the grandmothers is at a level that could jeopardize the quality of life with their grandchildren. In spite of their diminished physical capacity, the grandmothers reported that their …