Experiences Of Adult Children Research Articles

Intergenerational consequences of parents' late-life divorce on their adult children's romantic and marital relationships.

Parents' late-life divorce usually occurs when their adult children are married or seeking a marital relationship. The effects of divorce on young children have been studied extensively, revealing psychological, emotional, and mental difficulties, and increased relationship troubles. Yet knowledge about the effect of late-life divorce on adult children's perception of marital/romantic relationships in societies that value self-determination alongside strong family ties is lacking. Accordingly, we examine the consequences of parents' late-life divorce on their adult children's experiences and perceptions of marital/romantic relationships, from the perspective of both generations in the family, in Israel. Semistructured, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted separately with 51 participants (28 adult children; 23 parents) composed of seven family units (n = 33) and nine parent-child dyads (n = 18) and analyzed using thematic analysis and dyadic analysis. The two themes identified were adult children's shattered concept of marriage and the lessons they learned from their parents' marriage and late-life divorce and apply to their own marital/romantic relationships. Findings within both themes revealed a gap between generations regarding awareness of the long-term consequences of late-life divorce on adult children's romantic relationships. Implications include raising the awareness of families and therapists to these consequences. Developing constructive communication may enable both generations to beneficially process emotions and perception. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

Community Support for Aging in Place: A Computational Thematic Analysis of Discussions about Informal Care on Reddit

Adult children often help their older parents maintain independence at home, and this informal caregiving can be overwhelming and challenging to balance with other aspects of life. Yet, adult children's requirements tend to be overlooked when designing technologies to foster aging in place. In this work, we use reflexive thematic analysis to study Reddit content to understand the experiences of adult caregivers and the issues that they face in supporting their parents. The pseudonymous data allowed us to explore three research questions: 1) What are the experiences of adult children as informal helpers for elderly parents? 2) How do adult children currently manage their role as informal helpers? and 3) How might digital technology facilitate communication between aging parents and adult children as informal helpers? Our findings lead to a number of design considerations for technologies that support adult children caring for parents who are aging in place, including: building common ground, establishing boundaries, addressing guilt, encouraging in-person communication, community support for adult children, and adapting to changes in role reciprocity.

The experiences of adult children caring for a parent with Korsakoff’s syndrome

Background: Korsakoff’s syndrome (KS) is a debilitating psychoneurological disorder that can occur in adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD). People with KS experience a sudden onset of symptoms including confabulation, anterograde and retrograde amnesias, apathy, issues with vision and gait, and lack of insight. Frequently an adult child of the parent with alcohol-induced KS becomes the caregiver, regardless of the status or quality of the relationship with their parent. While there is a rich literature base in the areas of adult children of parents with AUD and caregiving, there are no studies that have explored the experiences of adult children caring for a parent with alcohol-induced KS. This study aimed to explore the experiences of adult children who provide care for a parent or parental figure suffering from alcohol-induced Korsakoff syndrome (KS). Method: This study used a generic qualitative approach with thematic analysis using both in person and web-based video interview methods and field notes to address this gap in the literature. Eight individuals participated in the study, men (n=2) and women (n=6), with participants ranging in age from 31 to 43 years (average age 37 years). Results: Five themes emerged: addiction and the adult child, experiencing caregiver burden, experiencing a variety of emotions, professional healthcare experiences, and observations of symptoms. These themes emerged over seven anchor events in their caregiving experiences: interactions with their parent pre-diagnosis, parent’s medical emergency, hospitalization, diagnosis, housing, legal, and financial. Conclusion: The results provide a foundation for future research in the areas of KS, caregiving, and adult children of parents with AUD. They also provide a basis to inform the development of interventions with this population and demonstrate a need for more awareness of KS among healthcare professionals.

Working with adult families of origin: On the nature of rupture and repair

AbstractIn this paper, we report on findings from a three‐part enquiry into the essence of working with families of origin where all members are adult. Findings, in conversational form, describe the nature of adult family ruptures encountered, pathways to repair and unique factors associated with the therapeutic encounter with adult families relative to those with still dependent children. In exploring emergent themes, we hoped to come to some understandings of the models and unique skill sets that characterise and enhance family therapy with adult families. We found that, unlike families with younger children, adult children are often the more motivated sub‐system and indeed the drivers of a referral for therapy. The therapeutic focus centred around legacy work from prior unresolved family traumas or disrupted developmental processes. Features of the therapeutic process included supporting new and more proportional narratives about ingrained wounds, together with redefinition of caregiving relationships and a future gaze towards becoming an independent yet connected family structure. We consider the therapist's posture in validating the adult child's experience, contextualising parent histories and clearing emotional barriers that block healthy giving and receiving of care. Key decision points in the therapist's work included how to balance the past context of the rupture with its current legacy, and the place of exoneration versus forgiveness in the progression towards secure individuation. Findings may help refine therapeutic methods in the application of systemic therapies with adult family forms, particularly on the intersection with the adult mental health system.

Role perceptions and experiences of adult children in remote glucose management for older parents with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a qualitative study

BackgroundWith the advent of the smart phone era, managing blood glucose at home through apps will become more common for older individuals with diabetes. Adult children play important roles in glucose management of older parents. Few studies have explored how adult children really feel about engaging in the glucose management of their older parents with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) through mobile apps. This study provides insights into the role perceptions and experiences of adult children of older parents with T2DM participating in glucose management through mobile apps.MethodsIn this qualitative study, 16 adult children of older parents with T2DM, who had used mobile apps to manage blood glucose for 6 months, were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured, in-depth, face-to-face interviews to explore their role perceptions and experiences in remotely managing their older parents’ blood glucose were conducted. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) were followed to ensure rigor in the study. The data collected were analyzed by applying Colaizzi’s seven-step qualitative analysis method.ResultsSix themes and eight sub-themes were identified in this study. Adult children’s perceived roles in glucose management of older parents with T2DM through mobile apps could be categorized into four themes: health decision-maker, remote supervisor, health educator and emotional supporter. The experiences of participation could be categorized into two themes: facilitators to participation and barriers to participation.ConclusionSome barriers existed for adult children of older parents with T2DM participating in glucose management through mobile apps; however, the findings of this study were generally positive. It was beneficial and feasible for adult children to co-manage the blood glucose of older parents. Co-managing blood glucose levels in older parents with T2DM can enhance both adherence rates and confidence in managing blood glucose effectively.

How adult children experience and cope with their parents’ diagnosis of multiple myeloma: A qualitative exploration

PurposeThe aim of this study was to understand and explore the caregiving experience of adult children of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) during diagnosis and initial treatment based in Chinese filial piety culture. MethodsA descriptive phenomenology study was conducted to investigate semi-structured interview responses from the adult children (N = 22) of MM patients within three months after diagnosis. Colaizzi's descriptive analysis framework was employed to analyze data. This study was reported following the COREQ checklist. ResultsFour themes and twelve subthemes were identified from the interviews. (1) Commitment to filial piety. Participants subconsciously fulfilled their commitment to filial piety by supporting their parents, obeying their wishes, providing emotional comfort, and protecting them from harm. (2) Experiencing multiple dilemmas. They faced challenges such as difficult treatment decisions, insufficient caregiving preparation, emotional distress, and role conflict. (3) Benefiting from setbacks. The caregiving experience allowed participants to cherish the present more and to establish a new view of life. (4) Adaptive coping. Family supports and self-adaptation are effective coping strategies to achieve their good psychosocial adaptation. ConclusionsOur study provides a culturally sensitive perspective on the caregiving experience of adult children of patients with MM. This study found that Chinese culture, especially filial piety culture, influenced the experiences and coping strategies of MM caregivers. Healthcare providers should focus on the challenges faced by adult children and develop various strategies to help them cushion the burden and adjust to caregiving roles, such as supportive care programs, meaning-centered psychotherapy, and family-centered medical communication interventions.

Changing care provision in times of changing contexts: the experience of adult children during the pandemic in the UK

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed the suspension of many care services, and families had to choose between adhering to lockdown measures or caring for vulnerable relatives. This study revisits the Informal Care Model by explicitly incorporating the role of changing circumstances during the pandemic to understand care provision by adult children. Using nationally representative data from the UK, statistical analyses reveal that the usual suspects, such as women, were more likely to undertake additional care tasks. However, they also highlight new enabling factors for care provision that have arisen from the pandemic, such as the ability to work from home.

Blessing or curse: the role of authoritarian filial piety and self-efficacy in caregiver gains among Chinese family caregivers caring for physically impaired older adults

BackgroundThis study investigated the effects of authoritarian filial piety (AFP) and caregiver self-efficacy on the caregiving experience of adult children of physically impaired older adults. Socio-cultural stress and coping model was applied to test the influence of AFP on caregiver gains.MethodsA total of 601 Chinese adult children caregivers and care-recipient dyads participated in this cross-sectional study in 2021. Four instruments were used to collect data: the 4-item Zarit Burden Interview, Positive Aspects of Caregiving Scale, Caregiver Task Inventory Scale, and Authoritarian Filial Piety Scale. All mediation and moderated mediation effects were estimated using SPSS 26.0.ResultsCaregiver self-efficacy was found to not only mediate but also help family caregivers convert their burden into positive gains. AFP moderates the association between caregiver burden and self-efficacy, as well as between caregiver burden and caregiver gains.ConclusionsThis study provides valuable insights into filial piety, elucidating AFP’s comprehensive impact on cognitive appraisals of caregiving. Culturally sensitive psychoeducational therapy, addressing AFP expectations and boosting caregiver self-efficacy, is recommended to enhance positive caregiving outcomes.

Being adult children of late‐life divorced parents in Israel: A dyadic/familial perspective

AbstractObjectivesIn this study, the researchers examined adult children's experience during and after their parents' late‐life divorce. The study applies a familial/dyadic perspective. Family systems theory is used heuristically.BackgroundLate‐life divorce is rising due to increased social legitimacy of divorce and life‐expectancy. As parents age, their adult children become more involved in their parents' lives. Accordingly, adult children are expected to fulfill roles in their parents' life transitions such as late‐life divorce. However, adult children's experiences regarding their parents late‐life divorce is not as available in previous studies, especially from a dyadic/familial perspective.MethodSemistructured in‐depth qualitative‐interviews were conducted separately with 51 participants (28 adult children, 23 parents) composed of seven family units (n = 33) and nine parent–child‐dyads (n = 18). Thematic analysis and dyadic interview analysis were used.ResultsDuring the divorce, adult children experienced meaningful roles supporting their parents, mediating between them, or pushing them to finalize the divorce. Some avoided involvement. Parents described roles they assigned to their adult children and their consequences. After divorce, adult children continued supporting their parents, experiencing role reversal earlier than expected. Their new roles included relieving loneliness and worry and providing care.ConclusionThe roles adult children experience reveals unique challenges for adult‐child–parent relationships after parents' late‐life divorce, influencing the family system.ImplicationsConceptualizing adult children's roles and the implications for family systems contributes to theoretical knowledge. Family counselors should provide families with relevant tools to deal with these consequences. Policy makers and training programs for family therapy should address the consequences of late‐life divorce.

WHY DO I CARE? MOTIVATIONS OF SURVIVORS OF PARENTAL CHILDHOOD HARM WHO ARE CARING FOR THEIR PARENTAL PERPETRATOR

Abstract Adult child survivors of parental childhood maltreatment may remain in relationship with their parental perpetrator across the life course and even take on the caregiving role when their parent becomes older and/or ill. Yet, becoming a caregiver for a parent who was harmful is associated with increased depressive symptoms, heightened stress responses, and maladaptive coping for the caregiver. Given that survivors of parental childhood maltreatment may find caregiving to be detrimental to their mental health and well-being, it is crucial to better understand why an adult child would choose to engage in caregiving for their parental perpetrator. This qualitative research, grounded in Intergenerational Solidarity Theory, examines the motivations to participate in parental caregiving through serious illness or the end of life for survivors of childhood parental harm. Based on the phenomenological perspective, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 adults ages 24-70. Participants were recruited through word-of-mouth and social media. Content analysis revealed five themes: 1) obligation and ambivalence; 2) differentiating from the abuser; 3) “a second chance;” 4) belief systems that influence caregiving; and 5) financial incentives. This information heightens awareness of the experiences of this often-overlooked population of caregivers and invites gerontological researchers and practitioners to consider the complexity in their decision to participate in their perpetrator’s care. Gaining a better understanding of the lived experiences of adult children who are caregivers for their parental perpetrator and their motivations for participating in such care can inform the development of trauma-informed assessment and intervention strategies tailored to this population.

조부모의 손자녀 돌봄 지원을 경험한 성인자녀의 자문화기술지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the subjective experiences of adult children and their families in the process of assisting grandparents in caring for their grandchildren. Autoethnography was used to collect the data, which was then interpreted and used in a sociocultural framework. Due to the public care gap and general mistrust of others, as a working mother I asked child care support from my parents, whom I could trust. The mother had several physical, mental, social, and financial challenges throughout the procedure, but she positively remembered that it was a wonderful time with more pleasure and value than the challenges brought on by raising grandchildren. My family at that time raised grandkids with an unwavering feeling of love, so when I ceased caring for them, the family's sadness was more than I had anticipated. In a mutually beneficial partnership, we were able to continue our efforts to have better family relationships as families worked together and overcame challenging periods in the process of supporting raising grandchildren. Based on the study result, the discussion concentrated on the educational component of grandparents' support in raising their grandchildren, and a program to manage the physical and emotional health of grandparents, a program to provide current, customized parenting information, a program to strengthen positive awareness of being grandparents, a program related to family health to maintain a healthy family system, a program to set up new relationships within the family and reestablishing the roles in line with the time when grandparents stop caring for their grandchildren, etc., were suggested as action plans.

The experiences of adult children with a parent living with a chronic mental illness in Giyani, Limpopo province, South Africa

BackgroundAdult children of chronically mentally ill parents are prone to behavioural, emotional, and psychological problems compared to children and teenagers in the general community. PurposeTo gain an understanding of adult children’s experiences with a parent living with a chronic mental illness in Giyani, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Design and methodsA qualitative exploratory, descriptive research design was utilised. Ten purposefully sampled adult children with a parent living with a chronic mental illness participated in the study. Data were collected using in-depth phenomenological interviews. Data were analysed utilising Tesch’s open-coding method. ResultsAdult children experienced having a parent living with a chronic mental illness as a difficult and painful journey filled with confusion. The support and lack of support they received from people around them. They ultimately accepted their situation based on the realisation their parent has a chronic mental illness. ConclusionBased on the findings, it is recommended that healthcare professionals should promote individuals’ mental health and well-being through the provision of mental health education, facilitation of a reduction in mental health stigma in communities, and fostering resilience among adult children with a parent living with a chronic mental illness. The facilitation of support and acceptance of their parent’s mental status is also vital for these individuals. Collaboration between families with parental mental illness, the community, social services, mental health services and other relevant organisations and stakeholders were highlighted in supporting these families to achieve better outcomes.

Filial Maturity, Resolution of a Parent’s Disease, and Well-Being in Offspring of Parents Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia. However, research dealing with the experience of adult children of a parent diagnosed with AD, regardless of whether the offspring is a caregiver, is not well developed. The current research is a cross-sectional study that examines the associations between filial maturity, offspring's coming to terms with their parent's AD, and the well-being of the offspring. one hundred and forty Israeli adult children of parents with AD participated in the study and completed self-report questionnaires assessing their filial maturity, resolution of their parent's diagnosis with AD, the adult children's well-being, and the severity of the parent's AD according neurologist's report. Results showed that higher resolution of the parent's disease was positively associated with well-being. In addition, filial maturity was negatively associated with resolution of the parent's disease, and resolution of the parent's disease mediated the association between filial maturity and well-being. Resolution of a parent's AD is highly challenging for offspring with high filial maturity, and the lack of resolution affects their well-being. Offering prolonged emotional support for offspring of parents diagnosed with AD may improve their ability to integrate the new reality into their lives and foster their well-being.

When an Aging Parent Has to Move

Documentary Film: I Cannot Tell You How I Feel (42 minutes) Produced and Directed by: Su Friedrich Distributed by Icarus Films https://icarusfilms.com/if-feel Released: 2018 There have been scads of documentaries made about the experiences of adult children helping their aging parents make the transition from independent living to accepting various levels of assistance. It’s a universal theme in modern human life. The documentaries range from boring and factual, to intensely and graphically personal. I Cannot Tell You How I Feel takes a different approach—one that is visually engaging and highly entertaining, but skimpy on a coherent storyline. The film starts with the filmmaker’s mother in an agitated state, saying “I just cannot believe what is happening, and it’s just killing me. I hope I survive it.” What she is referring to is a move from her home in Chicago, where she has lived for 52 years, to New York, presumably to be closer to her adult children because she needs more care.

A qualitative meta-synthesis of the caregiving experiences of adult children providing care for cancer patients in China: Implications for multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Qualitative meta-synthesis is a coherent approach to answering an overarching research question by synthesising past qualitative studies so as to create new meanings from their results. We conducted a qualitative meta-synthesis to systematically evaluate and integrate the caregiving experiences of adult children providing care for an elderly parent with cancer. The search was conducted in the databases Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Grew Literature in the Health Sciences, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, SINOMED and China Academic Journals as well as Chinese grey literature databases (China Academic Conference Literature Database/, National Science and Technology Library) from inception to June 9, 2021. Thirteen studies were included in the final synthesis. The caregiver experiences they describe are synthesised into three primary themes: care needs, care burden and care gains, with numerous secondary themes. Besides our findings that seem to align with those from studies focused on other cultures, we have highlighted three main discoveries from the synthesis that stand out in the Chinese context: (1) many sub-themes related to specific caregiving skills; (2) a strong expectation for health professionals to improve their communication skills with family caregivers; (3) the negative and positive influences of filial piety in caregiving experiences. Our findings can help multidisciplinary healthcare teams in China support adult children as caregivers in their emphasis on improving caregiver education and training, ways of making the most of potential care gains, and ways of easing care burdens.

“Now I Can See Things for What They Are”: The Experiences of Adult Children of Narcissists

This study drew on the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) and narrative therapy literature to explore the experiences of adult children of narcissists (ACON) to understand how they have made sense of their own experiences and protected themselves from adversity. Data from semi-structured interviews with six individuals who identified one of their parents as a narcissist were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The experiences of these participants were captured by four themes: “It’s a brutal way to be raised,” “A way forward: it was them not me,” “I see the tentacles of how deep and far and wide it goes,” and “The lost ideal.” “Journey of healing" was identified as the overarching theme that encapsulated the essence of the participants’ experiences. This study is the first phenomenological account of this hitherto under researched cohort. It has also extended the literature on the PTMF by demonstrating its utility in formulating ACON’s experiences of psychological distress. Findings illustrate how personal narratives can be used to facilitate individual recovery. These findings can potentially aid clinicians to better understand and support ACON in clinical settings. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10720537.2022.2048285 .

Attachment relationship with parents and Taiwanese middle-aged adult children’s filial anxiety: The mediating role of dual filial piety beliefs

Given the aging of the global population, the experience of adult children preparing to care for their aging parents is increasingly valued. In this article, I not only examined the associations between Taiwanese adult children’s attachment relationships with parents and their experience of filial anxiety but also took a psychocultural perspective to explore the mediating role of filial piety, the most representative value in the Chinese family. I collected survey data from 1305 middle-aged Taiwanese adults over 40 years old whose father or mother was alive and over 65 years old. The results from the first model for both father–child and mother–child datasets showed that secure attachment relationships with parents had a significant positive association with adults’ parental-welfare-focused filial anxiety B (FAB) but a significant negative association with their caregiver-role-focused filial anxiety A (FAA). The results from the second analysis indicated that secure attachment relationships with parents, for both father–child and mother–child datasets, had a significant positive association with adults’ endorsement of reciprocal filial piety beliefs, which significantly related to higher levels of FAB but lower levels of FAA. For both the father–child and mother–child datasets, secure attachment relationships with parents also had a significant positive association with their endorsement of authoritarian filial piety beliefs. Subsequently, their endorsement of authoritarian filial piety belief significantly related to a higher level of FAB in only the mother–child dataset. In conclusion, these findings broaden the understanding of adult children’s experience of filial anxiety that could be related to their attachment relationship with parents and their endorsement of reciprocal and authoritarian filial piety.

Identity work of children with a parent with early-onset dementia in the Netherlands: Giving meaning through narrative construction.

BackgroundIn the past years an increasing amount of research has been done on the experiences of adult children of a parent with early-onset dementia. However, little is still known about how the socio-cultural context influences the narratives of these children.AimThis study aimed to provide insights into the far-reaching consequences of parental early-onset dementia for adult children in the Netherlands. It illustrates how the experiences of these adult children are shaped by the context they live in.Method16 in-depth interviews were conducted with adult children of a parent with early-onset dementia in the Netherlands. The interviews offered the children space to reflect on the impact the illness of their parent had on them and their lives. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsThis article illustrates that the comparative processes of relating to others' experiences help the children to reflect on the impact that their parent's illness has on their own lives, which in turn aids them in contextualising and making meaning out of their changing lives and relationships. This contextualization and recovery of meaning is shaped by three processes. The first concerns the ways these adult children draw comparisons between their own lives and experiences and those of their peers of the same age group. The second process entails comparative understandings of having a parent with early-onset dementia versus having a parent with late-onset dementia. The third process explores how having a parent with early-onset dementia compares to having a parent with other diseases. The processes of contextualisation which the adult children engage in are shaped by what the children perceive to be normal and thus also by their socio-cultural contexts.ConclusionsThis article reveals how meaning is created in a constant interplay between the primary experiences of having an ill parent and the socio-cultural context in which the experiences take place. It illustrates how this context provides for particular narratives, which in turn shape how the children are able to give meaning to their experiences.

Regret and Repair: Experiences of Adult Children and Parents When a Father Remarries Soon After the Death of a Spouse.

The purpose of this study is to better understand what happens to families when a parent remarries quickly after the death of a long-term partner. Men typically re-partner much more rapidly than women do after the death of a spouse. We used a qualitative, grounded-theory method to interview six parents (all men) and their adult children (12 participants total) about their experiences when fathers lost their spouse and re-partnered quickly. We found a variety of reasons for rapid remarriage, and a number of implications for parent-child relationships, including feelings of losing one parent in body and another in relationship, different expectations between parents and children related to holding on to memories of the deceased and finding ways to let go, remaining parents looking back with unexpressed regret, and finally experiences of repair. Clinical recommendations for therapists are provided.

Views and experiences of adult children concerning intergenerational relationships with their older kin: a qualitative study from South India

AbstractThe tradition of intergenerational care and support exchanges in Indian families is assumed to be disturbed because of changes in family structure brought on by modern life, which is mainly based on studies investigating experiences of older adults regarding the impact of socio-economic change on their care arrangement. However, there is a large gap in understanding the experiences of adult children from a larger relational perspective, more than just care provision to their older relatives. Drawing on 26 in-depth interviews with adult children living in modern and traditional living arrangements from South India, the study explores their experiences with their parents with regard to reciprocity of care and support, the challenges they experience and strategies they adopt to overcome those challenges. The analysis shows adult children perceive the increased demands of modern work life and their older kin's preferences to be heard, lack of flexibility and related extra domestic work and costs, do cause a bigger burden for them in both living arrangements. However, adult children strive to uphold the traditional values of caring for their older kin and sharing emotional bonding with them. This inspiration helps them to employ strategies to accept their older relatives as they are, focus their attention on the benefits they receive from them and distribute care tasks with other relatives to overcome the challenges.