Ethnic Differences in Stressors, Resources, and Psychological Outcomes of Family Caregiving: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

We investigated ethnic differences in caregiver background variables, objective stressors, filial obligations beliefs, psychological and social resources, coping processes, and psychological and physical health. We used a meta-analysis to integrate the results of 116 empirical studies. Ethnic minority caregivers had a lower socioeconomic status, were younger, were less likely to be a spouse, and more likely to receive informal support. They provided more care than White caregivers and had stronger filial obligations beliefs than White caregivers. Asian-American caregivers, but not African-American and Hispanic caregivers, used less formal support than non-Hispanic White caregivers. Whereas African-American caregivers had lower levels of caregiver burden and depression than White caregivers, we found that Hispanic and Asian-American caregivers were more depressed than their White non-Hispanic peers. However, all groups of ethnic minority caregivers reported worse physical health than Whites. Observed ethnic differences in burden and depression were influenced by study characteristics, such as the type of illness of the care recipient and the representativeness of the sample. The results suggest that more specific theories are needed to explain differential effects of ethnic minority groups of caregivers. Intervention needs vary, in part, between ethnic groups of caregivers.