Caregiving Role Research Articles

Analysis of urban–rural differences in the relationship between grandparenting and the nutrition and health status of children aged 0–3 in China

BackgroundThe practice of grandparents taking on the role of primary caregivers for their grandchildren is widespread across both urban and rural regions in China. Yet, the existing body of research offered limited clarity on how grandparenting associated with nutrition as well as health of children aged 0–3 years, particularly in terms of potential differences between urban and rural areas in China. Therefore, this study aims to delve into the association between grandparenting and nutrition as well as health status of children aged 0–3 and its urban–rural differences in China.MethodsThis study draws on data from 1,028 children aged 0 to 3 years and their families, collected through the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) in 2020. Nutrition and health status of children aged 0–3 was assessed based on the indicators of malnutrition, medical consultations due to illness and developmental delay. Parental reports were used to determine the extent of grandparenting, which any caregiving arrangement involving grandparents, whether during daytime, nighttime, or both, were categorized as grandparenting. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to explore the association between grandparenting and nutrition as well as health outcomes of children aged 0–3.ResultsRegression analysis results indicated that grandparenting is positively associated with malnutrition (OR 1.323; 95% CI 1.008, 1.735), medical consultation for illness (OR 1.382; 95% CI 1.058, 1.804), and developmental delay (OR 1.502; 95% CI 1.508, 2.134) in children aged 0–3 years. The above association has been proven to be evident in rural settings, whereas it was not significant in urban environments.ConclusionGrandparenting exhibits a negative association with nutrition and health status of children aged 0–3. It is imperative for parents to consider their children’s caregiving arrangements carefully, and foster nutrition and health status of children from birth to 3 years old actively.

Protocol: Complementarity between informal care and formal care to adults: Knowledge mapping through a scoping review of the literature

AbstractThis is the protocol for a Campbell systematic review. The aim of this scoping review is to map, describe and characterize the available evidence on the role that formal care might have in complementing informal caregivers role – romantic partners, parallel family members (e.g., [step]siblings, cousins or in‐laws) or descendants (e.g., the care‐receivers are [step]parents, [step]aunts/uncles, [step]grandparents or in‐laws) – when providing care to adults with acquired diseases (physical or neurologic) in domestic settings and will set the ground for future research on this topic. The scoping review questions are the following: (i) What is the existing literature on the complementarity between formal and informal care? (ii) Which are the types of formal cares' services/interventions that have been described in the literature as complementary to informal care, provided to the informal caregiver and/or to the adult being cared for? (iii) Which outcomes have been assessed in the caregiver's physical, psychological, and social health domains, and how have they been measured?

Caregivers' Awareness and Behavior Impacting the Oral Health of Pediatric and Adolescent Patients with Disabilities

This study aimed to analyze the dental caries experience and dental care utilization of pediatric and adolescent patients with disabilities, and to investigate the impact of various factors and the role of caregivers on their oral health. Patients aged 4 - 18 years and their caregivers were enrolled. Data on caregivers’ oral health management practices and perceptions, as well as patients’ toothbrushing frequency and use of dental floss, were collected. Clinical examinations measured the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT/dmft) index and plaque index (PI). Among the 141 participants, the most common types of disabilities were autism spectrum disorder (45.4%) and intellectual disabilities (26.2%). Caregivers provided complete assistance with tooth brushing for 49.6% of patients, and 63.8% reported brushing their teeth twice daily. Patients with intellectual and multiple disabilities had a relatively high DMFT/dmft index. A higher level of caregiver assistance during tooth brushing was associated with a lower DMFT/dmft index. Increased frequency of tooth brushing and flossing correlated with lower PI and DMFT/dmft index. The availability of specialized care centers for individuals with disabilities was important for 89.4% when choosing a dental clinic. The main barriers to dental visits were dental anxiety (46.1%) and a lack of specialized dentists (41.8%). Caregiver involvement and regular oral hygiene practices significantly impact the oral health of pediatric and adolescent patients with disabilities. There is a need for specialized care centers, healthcare professionals, and government financial support for the care of patients with disabilities.

Does sibling family structure matter in the emotion understanding development in preschoolers?

The objective of the study was to investigate the impact of sibling family structure —including the number of children, age gaps, presence of a twin, sibling position, and gender composition — on emotion understanding and its development in children aged 5–6 years. A total of 409 preschoolers participated. Emotion understanding was assessed using The Test of Emotion Comprehension at the baseline and then again at a 1-year follow-up. In addition to the primary variables, executive functions (comprising visual and verbal working memory and cognitive flexibility) and non-verbal intelligence were controlled for in the analysis. We used the Dimensional Change Card Sort task to assess cognitive flexibility, the Sentence Repetition and Memory for Designs subtests of NEPSY-II to measure verbal and visual working memory, respectively, and Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices to assess non-verbal intelligence. Sibling data were obtained from the parent surveys, while psychological assessments were administered to children by psychologists. While sibling family structure influences emotion understanding, it does not significantly affect its development over a year. A more advanced reflective emotional understanding is associated with higher cognitive flexibility and having a younger sibling, compared to other sibling positions. The results of this study offer additional knowledge for parents, educators, family therapists, and child psychologists seeking a deeper understanding of emotional development in children. These professionals can design interventions and programs that leverage sibling and peer relationships to foster emotional development, encourage collaboration through age-diverse activities, and promote caregiving roles to enhance family and group dynamics.

Fathers as Key Figures Shaping the Foundations of Early Childhood Development: An Exploratory Longitudinal Study on Web-Based Intervention

Background/Objectives: Early childhood development is profoundly influenced by parent–child interactions, with recent research emphasizing the crucial role fathers play alongside mothers. Paternal involvement, especially in caregiving activities like feeding, positively impacts children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. However, paternal depressive symptoms can hinder the quality of these interactions, potentially leading to long-term behavioral and emotional difficulties in children. Despite this, interventions to enhance caregiving quality that target fathers remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based video feedback intervention in improving father–child feeding interactions and reducing psychopathological symptoms in both fathers and their 12- to 24-month-old children. Methods: A longitudinal study was conducted with 244 fathers and their young children. Participants were assessed at two time points (T1 and T2) four weeks apart. Fathers engaged in remote one-hour intervention sessions twice a week, based on the Video Intervention Therapy (VIT) approach. The Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) assessed the fathers’ psychopathological symptoms, while the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 1½–5) evaluated the children’s emotional and behavioral functioning. Father–child feeding interactions were video-recorded and analyzed using the Scala di Valutazione delle Interazioni Alimentari (SVIA). Results: Post-intervention analyses showed significant improvements in father–child feeding interactions, with reductions in maladaptive behaviors and interactive conflicts. Fathers exhibited significant decreases in psychopathological symptoms, particularly in depression, anxiety, and obsessive–compulsive tendencies. Children demonstrated significant reductions in internalizing and externalizing problems. Conclusions: The web-based video feedback intervention effectively enhanced the quality of father–child feeding interactions and reduced psychopathological symptoms in both fathers and children. These findings highlight the importance of supporting fathers in their caregiving roles to promote positive developmental outcomes during critical early childhood periods. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of such interventions and their applicability across diverse populations.

The Well-Being Costs of Informal Caregiving.

How does informal care affect caregivers' well-being? Theories and existing research provide conflicting answers to this question, partly because the temporal processes and conditions under which different aspects of well-being are affected are unknown. Here, we used longitudinal data from Dutch, German, and Australian representative panels (281,884 observations, 28,663 caregivers) to examine theoretically derived hypotheses about changes in caregivers' life satisfaction, affective experiences, depression/anxiety, and loneliness. Overall, results provided evidence for negative well-being effects after the transition into a caregiver role, with more pronounced and longer-lasting well-being losses in women than in men. We further found that well-being losses were larger with more time spent on caregiving, in both men and women. These results were robust across moderators of the caregiving context (care tasks, relationship with care recipient, and full-time employment). Together, the present findings support predictions of stress theory and highlight lingering questions in theoretical frameworks of care-related well-being costs.

Like mother like child: Differential impact of mothers' and fathers' individual language use on bilingual language exposure.

Language exposure is an important determiner of language outcomes in bilingual children. Family language strategies (FLS, e.g., one-parent-one-language) were contrasted with parents' individual language use to predict language exposure in 4-31-month-old children (50% female) living in Montreal, Quebec. Two-hundred twenty one children (primarily European (48%) and mixed ethnicity (29%)) were learning two community languages (French and English) and 60 (primarily mixed ethnicity (39%) and European (16%)) were learning one community and one heritage language. Parents' individual language use better predicted exposure than FLS (explaining ~50% vs. ~6% of variance). Mothers' language use was twice as influential on children's exposure as fathers', likely due to gendered caregiving roles. In a subset of families followed longitudinally, ~25% showed changes in FLS and individual language use over time. Caregivers, especially mothers, individually shape bilingual children's language exposure.

Caregiving: A Journey of Grace.

Caregiving is a fundamental nursing role. However, when providing care to parents, the nurse experiences caregiving in a completely different way. The stresses and challenges the nurse experiences can be used to support others in similar caregiving experiences. In this article, caregiver role strain is discussed, and spiritual interventions are offered along with insight into the physical, mental, and emotional requirements of caregiving.

Experience of carers for older people with delirium: a qualitative study

Objectives There is a gap in our understanding of the experiences and needs of carers for patients with delirium and a scarcity of research on the topic in the UK. This study aims to explore the needs and experiences of carers for person with delirium and offer suggestions to support them. Method A qualitative interview study with carers of patients with delirium. Data were analysed using an abductive analysis approach. Results Fourteen carers were interviewed. We identified four themes; carers’ involvement in providing care for the person with delirium, carers’ perspectives of caregiving, support for carers and impact for caregiving on carers. Carers felt a responsibility to support the patient and to obtain information on delirium and its management on their own. Caregiving for a person with delirium had an emotional impact on the carer and they needed to change their lifestyle to maintain their caregiving responsibilities, as a result of the limited support they had. Conclusion More support for the carer in care plans with focus on emotional support, support groups for carers of people with delirium and assigning a case worker should be taken into consideration when developing interventions for people with delirium at home. These solutions may mitigate the impact of caregiving role on the mental and physical wellbeing of the carer for older person with delirium.

"I Was Broken and Still Had to Stay Strong. I Cannot Be Weak": Understanding Parental Role Conflicts Following a Premature Birth.

The challenging transition to parenthood affects both mothers and fathers; yet, the strain intensifies with a premature birth in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), underscoring the importance of acknowledging and addressing potential differences in parental roles. This paper aimed to investigate how parental role conflicts among mothers and fathers of preterm-born infants hospitalized in German NICUs manifest and investigated potential parental resources. Twenty-four participants, 17 mothers, and seven fathers of very low birth-weight infants were interviewed. A thematic content analysis was performed at a semantic level. Fathers feel pressured to fulfill the role expectations, often leading to the suppression of paternal feelings and needs. For mothers, deviating from societal expectations regarding their expressive roles can be distressing, as they worry that such deviation might hinder their infants from having a successful start in life. Consulting with healthcare professionals shows to ease challenges for both parental roles. Maternal and paternal challenges are often rooted in expectations placed on their societal roles. Highlighting these challenges can be essential for increasing awareness and effectively addressing them. Tailored nursing practices may have the potential to facilitate individuals' navigation of uncertainties and fulfillment of caregiving roles.

Knowledge Regarding Lactation Diet Among Caregivers of Postnatal Mothers in a View to Develop Information Booklet

Background: The role of primary caregiver is crucial in providing care to primigravida mothers in improving health by supporting breastfeeding. According to UNICEF poor nutrition taken by lactating mother is more affecting on infants as well as mothers health. Caregivers are most responsible for provision of postnatal care at hospital and at home too as they used their previous experiences during taking care of postnatal mothers. Food taboos during lactation are stronger than the pregnancy period. According to ministry of family and health welfare it is important to fill the gap between knowledge and practices. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and self-reported cultural practices regarding diet during lactation among caregivers with a view of developing information booklet. Methodology: Quantitative research approach is been adopted wherein the non-experimental exploratory research design was used for this study. Approval was taken from IEC, BV (DU) CON, Pune. Non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from caregivers which was validated from the experts and reliability, pilot study was done to conduct the study. The study was conducted on 200 caregivers of primipara postnatal mothers from selected hospitals of Pune city. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Result: Majority (73%) findings of the caregivers have average knowledge regarding diet during lactation and also it showed significant association between age, religion, relationship with postnatal mother and dietary pattern of postnatal mother. Conclusion: To conclude this study on basis of above findings, the aim of this study is achieved. Hence researcher has developed information booklet to update complete knowledge regarding diet during lactation also myths were discussed with the help of evidences.

Exploring the experience of family members caring for a relative with alcohol use disorder: A phenomenological inquiry.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a global concern with negative physical, psychological and social consequences. The ramifications of AUD extend beyond the individual and affect their family caregivers. Yet, the majority of existing research has primarily focused on individuals with AUD and interventions to encourage their abstinence rather than on their support systems. In order to advance a holistic approach, research to address this gap is imperative to understand family caregiver concerns and needs for added support. We conducted a qualitative study using van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological approach to uncover the meaning of family caregivers' lived experiences and capture the essence of their involvement in caring for a relative with AUD. A purposeful and snowball sample of family members (N = 10) living within the United States participated in a face-to-face or virtual, one-on-one audio-recorded interview and a second meeting for member checking the transcribed data. Participants received a $20.00 gift card as a token for their participation. Six major themes emerged from the description of participants' lived experiences: (1) traversing the peaks and valleys, (2) wandering in the unknown, (3) pointing fingers, (4) weathering the storm, (5) drawing a line and (6) looking back, looking in. Although participants experienced many challenges, they never relinquished and remained committed to their caregiver role. Steadfastly staying with their relatives through crises exemplifies commitment as described by Sister Simone Roach's Theory of Caring. Through the ups and downs, each participant found meaning from the experience, which aligned closely with Starck's Theory of Meaning. This study has implications for nursing practice, public health policy and highlights the need for collaboration to address the existing challenges for family caregivers of relatives with AUD.

The psycho-social impact of cancer treatment on the caregivers of the patients

Objectives The incidence of cancer cases shows an increasing trend over the past two decades owing to several factors, such as increased life expectancy, aging population, behavioral, environmental, and occupational risk factors, and more. Consequently, a greater number of people are expected to take the role of principal caregivers in the near future. Cancer treatment can have a multifaceted impact on the quality of life and psychological well-being of not only the patients but also their families. Caregivers are expected and required to provide complex care and support for which they are neither prepared nor trained. The reports of feeling overwhelmed and stressed are high when the demands placed on them exceed their resources, resulting in a negative effect on the overall well-being of the caregivers, including the patients themselves. The impact covers a wide spectrum of emotional, physical, financial, social, cognitive, spiritual, and work-related effects. Material and Methods This is a cross-sectional study conducted (for over three months from May to July 2023) among the caregivers accompanying cancer patients attending a tertiary care hospital in a South Indian metropolitan city. All the adult caregivers of patients diagnosed with cancer at least two to six months before the time of the study were considered as the study population. A systematic random sample was applied to recruit a convenient sample of 150 caregivers, maintaining the enrollment of only one caregiver per patient. Sociodemographic details of the patients and their caregivers were collected. The Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) based on a Likert scale was implemented to collect relevant data related to both the cancer patient and the family caregiver. Results Of the total 150 cancer patients, the most common type of cancer among the patients was head and neck (63, 42%), followed by cancers of the female reproductive system (44, 29.3%) and breast (24, 16%). Nearly 47% of caregivers were children of cancer patients, while 35.3% were spouses. Significantly higher burden scores on the “emotional strain” and “financial/physical strain” domains were observed among female caregivers. Higher burden scores on the “self-criticism” domain were independently associated with a shorter caregiver-patient contact time. Significantly higher burden scores on the “self-criticism” and “time/dependence” domains were observed among employed caregivers. Higher levels of burden on the “financial/physical strain” domain were reported by unemployed caregivers. Significantly higher burden scores on the “uncertainty” domain were observed among older caregivers and caregivers who were parents or spouses of the patients. Conclusion Caregiving impacts the physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of the caregiver’s life. They adopt active coping strategies to overcome the impacts of caregiving. A majority of the caregivers experienced mild to moderate burden, while most scored low on quality of life. Attention to concerns and the psychological well-being of caregivers may improve the overall scenario.

Unpaid caregivers' process of collaborating with others during older adult hospital-to-home transitions: A grounded theory study.

Unpaid/family caregivers provide support critical to older adult hospital-to-home transitions, but lack time and preparation. There is limited evidence regarding important collaboration for caregivers during the transition. The objective was to examine caregivers' process of collaborating with others, including other family members, healthcare professionals, and community, social, and professional networks, during older adult hospital-to-home transitions. This study utilized grounded theory methodology. One-on-one interviews were conducted with unpaid/family caregivers of an older adult during a hospital-to-home transition. Data were analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding. Participants (N = 16) relationship to the older adult included: partners (n = 8), friends (n = 4), children (n = 3), and siblings (n = 1). Most were female (n = 14) and living with the older adult (n = 10). A conceptual model was developed which illustrates participants' process through 3 stages: 1) identifying and learning the caregiver role, 2) collaborating with others to provide care and support to the older adult, while supporting themselves, during the hospital-to-home transition, and 3) supporting the older adult's progress in recovering independence or planning to provide long-term care and support. Participants described multiple approaches to collaborating with others: caring on own, caring in network, caring with healthcare professionals, and caring with social and professional networks. Implications include the need to recognize and promote utilization of care networks, as it may help address negative outcomes associated with caregiving. We also identified opportunities to further leverage caregivers' social/professional networks and increase focus on caregiver needs in healthcare encounters.

"More Than Just Holding the iPad": Family Members' Perspectives on the Work of Video Calling in Aged Care

Video calls are increasingly being adopted to enable older adults living in long-term residential care (aged care homes) to remain socially connected with friends and family. However, care home residents often require extensive support to participate effectively in video calls. Despite growing interest in examining the work involved in facilitating technology use in care homes, the role of caregivers---comprising family members and staff---in facilitating video calls has received limited attention. Drawing on data from a study of family members' experiences in Australia, we analysed the essential work activities required to make video calls function in residential aged care. We show how video calling is underpinned by the development of relationships between families and staff, and how video calling requires considerable work in preparation, facilitation, and troubleshooting. We discuss how video calling systems for care homes might be designed to alleviate unwanted work, lowering the burden of call participation for residents, families, and care staff.

Co-creation and recovery in mental health services: a lived experience perspective.

This article explores the shift in mental health recovery from mere symptom management to a holistic approach via the CHIME framework. It delves into the author's experience, beginning with the loss of his father, a war veteran with mental health struggles, at 16, thrusting him into the role of primary caregiver for his mother, who also battled mental health issues and eventually took her own life. These events spotlight the shortcomings of traditional mental health care and the urgent need for empathetic, multifaceted services. Advocating for co-creation in mental health services, the article outlines a transition towards a system that integrates recovery principles through stages from co-ideation to co-evaluation, emphasising holistic, person-centred care. It calls for a reimagined mental healthcare system that respects individual journeys and is rooted in co-creation, signalling a critical move towards systemic change.

The Morality of Care: Female Family Caregivers' Motivations for Providing Care to Older Migrants.

Finding suitable long-term care arrangements for older migrants in Europe, including Norway, has been a major concern for healthcare policymakers in the last decade. However, many older people with migrant backgrounds, and to a certain extent their descendants, often prefer that care arrangements are managed within the family. Although caring for family members may be personally satisfying, it can also be a source of distress. This study explores the motivations of care among female family caregivers of older Pakistani migrants within the Norwegian Ahmadiyya community. Our data are derived from a qualitative study including individual and group interviews with 19 female family caregivers. The study participants were aged 25-62 and resided in Norway. The interviews were conducted in Urdu and English and later transcribed verbatim in English. Our findings resulted in four main themes regarding motivations for caregiving: (1) "Who else, if not the family?": care perceived as a family obligation; (2) The divine duty of caregiving; (3) Women are better at caregiving; and (4) "What will people say?": fear of judgments. The intersection of culture, religion, gender, and migration shaped caregiving as a moral practice, and those providing care were considered individuals with high moral identity. The moral identity assigned to the role of family caregivers appears to exacerbate rather than alleviate the care burden on women of migrant origin. Understanding the motivations for caregiving can shed light on ways in which better support can be provided to ethnic minority families with aging members.

Roles Caregivers Take on in Pediatric Rehabilitation Telehealth Services: A Scoping Review.

Caregivers and children continue to use pediatric rehabilitation telehealth services (PRTS) post-pandemic. Understanding how caregivers support children during PRTS can help us fully integrate caregivers for positive outcomes. This scoping review describes the roles caregivers take on during PRTS. We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC for research published January 2005 to July 2023. We included English articles on the effect of PRTS. We excluded qualitative and non-peer-reviewed literature. Thirty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Caregivers were gatekeepers, technicians, implementers, trainees, collaborators, telehealth consumers, and supervisors in PRTS. Caregivers took on roles throughout PRTS, and roles varied by type of PRTS delivered. Caregivers take on multiple roles to support children during PRTS. Our results can inform clinical decisions about how to integrate and support caregivers in PRTS. Future research should explore strategies that support caregiver role taking to maximize caregiver involvement and outcomes in PRTS.

Factors influencing the ability of family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients within Iranian families to continue and persist in their caregiving roles: a qualitative study

BackgroundUnderstanding the motivations driving family members to continue caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease is crucial for enhancing social support programs within community health systems. This study specifically explores the factors influencing Iranian family caregivers’ ability to persist in their caregiving roles.MethodsThis qualitative study was conducted using conventional content analysis with 22 participants in 2022 in Babol (a city in northern Iran). The inclusion criteria for the study included caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients who had been the primary caregivers for at least one year for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The sampling method was purposive, ensuring maximum variation in social position, demographic status, and stages of Alzheimer’s disease after the onset of symptoms. In this research, data were collected from caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients through semi-structured interviews and in-depth individual interviews. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software.ResultsOne category and four subcategories were identified to explain the continuity of the caring role in family caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. The category was “on the Fence of the Caring Role.” The subcategories included Commitment to Care (Being Determined, Being Indebted, Feeling Dutiful), Coercion to Care (Giving in to the Caring Role Due to Family Requirements, Patient Care Due to Financial Problems), Socio-Cultural Beliefs and Concerns (Spiritual and Religious Tendencies, Social Stigma and Social Fears), and Attachment and Love for the Patient (Feeling Pity, Feeling Nostalgia for Kinship).ConclusionFamily caregivers are deeply engaged in their roles, often feeling trapped by various pressures. Recognizing these dimensions can inform policymakers and health practitioners in developing targeted interventions, such as respite care programs, financial support, and community resources, aimed at alleviating caregiver burden and enhancing the quality of care for patients. By addressing the complexities of the caregiver experience, effective strategies can be implemented to support both patients and their caregivers, ultimately improving health outcomes within the community.

Indigenous Australian perspectives on the perinatal period: Social well-being, culture and early infant attachments

ObjectiveAlthough social factors and culture are significant determinants of health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, little is known academically about key interpersonal and social experiences of this population during the perinatal period, or how early attachments are formed through culture. This study addressed this gap in the literature. Methods and measuresA reflexive thematic analysis approach was applied to the data gathered from focus groups (N = 14) held with Aboriginal (N = 7) and Torres Strait Islander (N = 7) mothers and their kinship systems. ResultsFive prominent interpersonal and social themes were identified: maternal-fetal attachment, infant-kinship attachment, caretaking roles/shared caregiving, traditional adoption, and ceremonies and rites of passage. Characteristics of maternal-fetal attachment were aligned with the construct in non-Indigenous literature. Post-utero, caretaking/shared caregiving roles such as ‘big mum/dad’ and ‘small mum/dad’ were identified. Ceremonies and rites of passage were understood to cement cultural roles within the kinship system, and the role of the maternal uncle was highlighted. A cultural obligation to help raise the child for biological mothers' other siblings, known as ‘mums’ and ‘dads’, was identified. ConclusionDiscussion is centred around the necessity for ‘grass roots’ research from the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and on suggestions for future research in further exploring the themes derived from this research.