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• 1. [Article] Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem

  PDF version of a presentation given at the Building on Family Strengths: State of the Science Conference, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland, OR, in May ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem Author: Brennan, Eileen M., Rosenzweig, Julie M., Malsch, Anna M., Stewart, Lisa Maureen, Conley, John Year: 2007 PDF version of a presentation given at the Building on Family Strengths: State of the Science Conference, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland, OR, in May 2007. Title: Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem Author: Brennan, Eileen M., Rosenzweig, Julie M., Malsch, Anna M., Stewart, Lisa Maureen, Conley, John Year: 2007 PDF version of a presentation given at the Building on Family Strengths: State of the Science Conference, Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health, Portland, OR, in May 2007. Close

• 2. [Article] Long-distance caregivers and stress

  Grounded in the life course perspective, this study examined stress among long-distance caregivers, asking whether stress levels vary by family relation to the care recipient or by geographic distance. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Long-distance caregivers and stress Author: Kolb, Karen N. Grounded in the life course perspective, this study examined stress among long-distance caregivers, asking whether stress levels vary by family relation to the care recipient or by geographic distance. A growing older adult population forecasts a corresponding need for caregivers. Although family members are the primary source of care for older adults, our population has seen high rates of mobility among both adult parents and their children, increasing the geographic distance between them. Given that the number of children per family has decreased, geographically distant children may be the only available family members to help frail, aging parents. Older adults without children available may have to rely on other family members, some of whom also live at a distance, in times of need. Caregivers who live at greater distances may have more difficulties providing care to their loved ones than those who live closer, and they may face greater stress than caregivers who live nearby. Further, because the child-parent relationship reflects the strongest kin obligation, child caregivers may have a higher likelihood of caregiver stress than nonchild caregivers. Research questions were addressed using data from a nationally representative survey of long-distance caregivers conducted in the Fall of 1996 by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in collaboration with Matthew Greenwald and Associates of Washington, DC. Child caregivers (n=98), those whose care recipients are parents or step parents, were compared to nonchild caregivers (n=74), those whose care recipients are caring for grandparents, siblings, other relatives, or friends. Caregivers in both groups provided comparable care, such as helping with decision making, advice and information, making needed arrangements, and providing emotional support. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the amount of variance explained by relation type and geographic distance after controlling for caregiver income, caregiving intensity, gender, care duration, and care recipient health. Bivariate relations suggested that caregivers with higher income give significantly less intense care, and that the passage of time may lessen stress for caregivers. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that relation to care recipient was a significant predictor of caregiver stress, with adult children showing higher levels of stress. Caregiver stress, however, was not greater for caregivers who lived farther away from care receivers. Using nationally representative data, the study documented the stress of long-distance caregivers, particularly adult children, thus suggesting the need for additional research and possibly programs to alleviate that stress. Title: Long-distance caregivers and stress Author: Kolb, Karen N. Grounded in the life course perspective, this study examined stress among long-distance caregivers, asking whether stress levels vary by family relation to the care recipient or by geographic distance. A growing older adult population forecasts a corresponding need for caregivers. Although family members are the primary source of care for older adults, our population has seen high rates of mobility among both adult parents and their children, increasing the geographic distance between them. Given that the number of children per family has decreased, geographically distant children may be the only available family members to help frail, aging parents. Older adults without children available may have to rely on other family members, some of whom also live at a distance, in times of need. Caregivers who live at greater distances may have more difficulties providing care to their loved ones than those who live closer, and they may face greater stress than caregivers who live nearby. Further, because the child-parent relationship reflects the strongest kin obligation, child caregivers may have a higher likelihood of caregiver stress than nonchild caregivers. Research questions were addressed using data from a nationally representative survey of long-distance caregivers conducted in the Fall of 1996 by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in collaboration with Matthew Greenwald and Associates of Washington, DC. Child caregivers (n=98), those whose care recipients are parents or step parents, were compared to nonchild caregivers (n=74), those whose care recipients are caring for grandparents, siblings, other relatives, or friends. Caregivers in both groups provided comparable care, such as helping with decision making, advice and information, making needed arrangements, and providing emotional support. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to assess the amount of variance explained by relation type and geographic distance after controlling for caregiver income, caregiving intensity, gender, care duration, and care recipient health. Bivariate relations suggested that caregivers with higher income give significantly less intense care, and that the passage of time may lessen stress for caregivers. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that relation to care recipient was a significant predictor of caregiver stress, with adult children showing higher levels of stress. Caregiver stress, however, was not greater for caregivers who lived farther away from care receivers. Using nationally representative data, the study documented the stress of long-distance caregivers, particularly adult children, thus suggesting the need for additional research and possibly programs to alleviate that stress. Close

• 3. [Article] Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem

  Employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders face many potential challenges when striving to find balance between their work and family responsibilities. While responding to the ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem Author: Brennan, Eileen M., Malsch, Anna M., Stewart, Lisa Maureen, Rosenzweig, Julie M., Conley, John Year: 2009 Employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders face many potential challenges when striving to find balance between their work and family responsibilities. While responding to the demands of the workplace, they must also attend to the unique caregiving needs of their children such as facilitating on-going treatment, responding to frequent emergencies, and arranging adequate child care (Rosenzweig, Brennan, Huffstutter, & Bradley, in press). These parents often develop strategies to gain the flexibility at work they need in order to care for their child while still maintaining a high level of job performance (Rosenzweig, Brennan, & Ogilvie 2002). Whether parents are successful in achieving this balance often depends on the culture of their workplace, the decisions they make regarding whether and how much to disclose about their child's situation, and the stigmatization they may encounter as a result of this disclosure. In this presentation, we reported the results of six focus groups of employed parents of children with mental health difficulties. This research was conducted as part of a federally funded five-year research project investigating work-life integration for this group of families. Our analysis focused on the parental experiences in the workplace and on the interrelationships between workplace culture, decision-making regarding disclosure, stigmatization, and workplace support. Title: Taking it on: Disclosure, Stigmatization, and Self-Esteem Author: Brennan, Eileen M., Malsch, Anna M., Stewart, Lisa Maureen, Rosenzweig, Julie M., Conley, John Year: 2009 Employed parents of children with emotional or behavioral disorders face many potential challenges when striving to find balance between their work and family responsibilities. While responding to the demands of the workplace, they must also attend to the unique caregiving needs of their children such as facilitating on-going treatment, responding to frequent emergencies, and arranging adequate child care (Rosenzweig, Brennan, Huffstutter, & Bradley, in press). These parents often develop strategies to gain the flexibility at work they need in order to care for their child while still maintaining a high level of job performance (Rosenzweig, Brennan, & Ogilvie 2002). Whether parents are successful in achieving this balance often depends on the culture of their workplace, the decisions they make regarding whether and how much to disclose about their child's situation, and the stigmatization they may encounter as a result of this disclosure. In this presentation, we reported the results of six focus groups of employed parents of children with mental health difficulties. This research was conducted as part of a federally funded five-year research project investigating work-life integration for this group of families. Our analysis focused on the parental experiences in the workplace and on the interrelationships between workplace culture, decision-making regarding disclosure, stigmatization, and workplace support. Close

• 4. [Article] The influence of caregiver role satisfaction and perceived control as mediating variables on levels of depression resulting from caregiver stress

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The influence of caregiver role satisfaction and perceived control as mediating variables on levels of depression resulting from caregiver stress Author: Russell-Miller, Mary P. Title: The influence of caregiver role satisfaction and perceived control as mediating variables on levels of depression resulting from caregiver stress Author: Russell-Miller, Mary P. Close

• 5. [Article] Taking a broader approach : longitudinal effects of personality on the physical health of spouse caregivers in two disease groups

  Caregiving circumstances frequently evoke high levels of stress for caregivers and have consistently been linked to adverse psychological and physical health consequences. Within the caregiving literature, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Taking a broader approach : longitudinal effects of personality on the physical health of spouse caregivers in two disease groups Author: Hall, Brandi June Caregiving circumstances frequently evoke high levels of stress for caregivers and have consistently been linked to adverse psychological and physical health consequences. Within the caregiving literature, researchers have sought to answer questions about why some individuals seem to be particularly vulnerable to the well-established deleterious consequences of caregiving stress. Several studies have found that personality traits are linked with physical health outcomes in caregivers. Past research, however, has not examined this relationship longitudinally, nor has it included aspects of personality beyond traits (i.e., the Big-Five: neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience). Thus, the overall goals of this study are twofold: (a) to better understand the link between stressful caregiving situations and health outcomes by investigating the impact of both personality traits and states on physical health outcomes, and (b) to utilize two well-defined groups of caregivers to investigate whether contextual variables are related to perceived physical health outcomes of caregivers over time. The project, "Health of Caregivers: The Role of Personality" provided the data for this study. Caregivers were interviewed in their homes between 1991 and 1992, and were sent mail-back questionnaires approximately one year later between 1992 and 1994. Caregivers who participated at both Time 1 and Time 2 were included in this study (n = 122). To explore the potential link between caregiver personality and contextual variables at Time 1 with perceived physical health at Time 2, hierarchical linear regressions were performed. Before adding state anxiety into the final model, individuals who scored high in neuroticism at Time 1 experienced worse physical health at Time 2. Surprisingly, individuals who scored high in openness to experience also experienced worse physical health at Time 2. Consistent with hypotheses, state anxiety significantly added to the predictive power of perceived physical health at Time 2, over and above contextual variables and the Big-Five personality traits. Individuals who scored high in state anxiety at Time 1 experienced worse perceived physical health at Time 2. The study findings demonstrate that a broader approach to personality is valuable to better identify vulnerable caregivers. Little is known regarding the trait of openness to experience in the caregiving and general populations. Caregivers who score high in openness to experience may feel "trapped" in their intensive caregiving situations, which may influence mental and physical health outcomes. Future research should further investigate both openness to experience, in particular, and more state-like aspects of personality to enhance interventions that successfully target at-risk caregivers. Title: Taking a broader approach : longitudinal effects of personality on the physical health of spouse caregivers in two disease groups Author: Hall, Brandi June Caregiving circumstances frequently evoke high levels of stress for caregivers and have consistently been linked to adverse psychological and physical health consequences. Within the caregiving literature, researchers have sought to answer questions about why some individuals seem to be particularly vulnerable to the well-established deleterious consequences of caregiving stress. Several studies have found that personality traits are linked with physical health outcomes in caregivers. Past research, however, has not examined this relationship longitudinally, nor has it included aspects of personality beyond traits (i.e., the Big-Five: neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience). Thus, the overall goals of this study are twofold: (a) to better understand the link between stressful caregiving situations and health outcomes by investigating the impact of both personality traits and states on physical health outcomes, and (b) to utilize two well-defined groups of caregivers to investigate whether contextual variables are related to perceived physical health outcomes of caregivers over time. The project, "Health of Caregivers: The Role of Personality" provided the data for this study. Caregivers were interviewed in their homes between 1991 and 1992, and were sent mail-back questionnaires approximately one year later between 1992 and 1994. Caregivers who participated at both Time 1 and Time 2 were included in this study (n = 122). To explore the potential link between caregiver personality and contextual variables at Time 1 with perceived physical health at Time 2, hierarchical linear regressions were performed. Before adding state anxiety into the final model, individuals who scored high in neuroticism at Time 1 experienced worse physical health at Time 2. Surprisingly, individuals who scored high in openness to experience also experienced worse physical health at Time 2. Consistent with hypotheses, state anxiety significantly added to the predictive power of perceived physical health at Time 2, over and above contextual variables and the Big-Five personality traits. Individuals who scored high in state anxiety at Time 1 experienced worse perceived physical health at Time 2. The study findings demonstrate that a broader approach to personality is valuable to better identify vulnerable caregivers. Little is known regarding the trait of openness to experience in the caregiving and general populations. Caregivers who score high in openness to experience may feel "trapped" in their intensive caregiving situations, which may influence mental and physical health outcomes. Future research should further investigate both openness to experience, in particular, and more state-like aspects of personality to enhance interventions that successfully target at-risk caregivers. Close

• 6. [Article] Coping with caregiving : how to manage stress when caring for elderly relatives

  Published February 1988. A more recent revision exists. Please check for up-to-date informatin in the OSU Extension Service Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Coping with caregiving : how to manage stress when caring for elderly relatives Author: Stiehl, Ruth E., Washington State University. Extension, Schmall, Vicki L., Pacific Northwest Cooperative Extension, University of Idaho. Extension, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published February 1988. A more recent revision exists. Please check for up-to-date informatin in the OSU Extension Service Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Title: Coping with caregiving : how to manage stress when caring for elderly relatives Author: Stiehl, Ruth E., Washington State University. Extension, Schmall, Vicki L., Pacific Northwest Cooperative Extension, University of Idaho. Extension, Oregon State University. Extension Service Published February 1988. A more recent revision exists. Please check for up-to-date informatin in the OSU Extension Service Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog Close

• 7. [Article] Household Water Insecurity, Missed Schooling, and the Mediating role of Caregiver Depression in Rural Uganda

  Background: School attendance rates in sub-Saharan Africa are among the lowest worldwide, placing children at heightened risk for poor educational and economic outcomes. One understudied risk factor for ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Household Water Insecurity, Missed Schooling, and the Mediating role of Caregiver Depression in Rural Uganda Author: Cooper-Vince, Christine E., Kakuhikire, Bernard, Vořechovská, Dagmar, McDonough, Amy Q., Perkins, Jessica M., Venkataramani, Atheendar S., Mushavi, Rumbidzai, Baguma, C., Ashaba, Scholastic, Bangsberg, David, Tsai, Alexander C. Year: 2017 Background: School attendance rates in sub-Saharan Africa are among the lowest worldwide, placing children at heightened risk for poor educational and economic outcomes. One understudied risk factor for missed schooling is household water insecurity, which is linked to depression among women and may increase children’s water-fetching burden at the expense of educational activities, particularly among children of depressed caregivers. In this study conducted in rural Uganda, we assessed the association between household water insecurity and child school participation and the mediating pathways behind these associations. Method: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of female household heads (N = 257) and their children ages 5–17 (N = 551) in the rural regions surrounding the town of Mbarara, in southwestern Uganda. We used multivariable linear regressions to estimate the association between water insecurity and missed schooling. We then assessed the extent to which the association was mediated by caregiver depression. Results: Among children, water insecurity had a statistically significant association with the number of missed school days (a standard deviation increase in water insecurity resulted in 0.30 more missed school days in the last week). The estimated association was partially mediated by caregiver depression. When stratified by sex, this mediating pathway remained significant for boys, but not among girls. Conclusions: Water insecurity is a risk factor for missed schooling among children in rural Uganda. Caregiver depression partially mediated this relationship. Also addressing caregiver mental health in water insecure families may more fully address the needs of sub-Saharan African families and promote educational participation among youth. Title: Household Water Insecurity, Missed Schooling, and the Mediating role of Caregiver Depression in Rural Uganda Author: Cooper-Vince, Christine E., Kakuhikire, Bernard, Vořechovská, Dagmar, McDonough, Amy Q., Perkins, Jessica M., Venkataramani, Atheendar S., Mushavi, Rumbidzai, Baguma, C., Ashaba, Scholastic, Bangsberg, David, Tsai, Alexander C. Year: 2017 Background: School attendance rates in sub-Saharan Africa are among the lowest worldwide, placing children at heightened risk for poor educational and economic outcomes. One understudied risk factor for missed schooling is household water insecurity, which is linked to depression among women and may increase children’s water-fetching burden at the expense of educational activities, particularly among children of depressed caregivers. In this study conducted in rural Uganda, we assessed the association between household water insecurity and child school participation and the mediating pathways behind these associations. Method: We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study of female household heads (N = 257) and their children ages 5–17 (N = 551) in the rural regions surrounding the town of Mbarara, in southwestern Uganda. We used multivariable linear regressions to estimate the association between water insecurity and missed schooling. We then assessed the extent to which the association was mediated by caregiver depression. Results: Among children, water insecurity had a statistically significant association with the number of missed school days (a standard deviation increase in water insecurity resulted in 0.30 more missed school days in the last week). The estimated association was partially mediated by caregiver depression. When stratified by sex, this mediating pathway remained significant for boys, but not among girls. Conclusions: Water insecurity is a risk factor for missed schooling among children in rural Uganda. Caregiver depression partially mediated this relationship. Also addressing caregiver mental health in water insecure families may more fully address the needs of sub-Saharan African families and promote educational participation among youth. Close