Distress of adult daughters who give support to their older parents

Abstract

The study sought to find empirical evidence of the effect of intergenerational support relationships with older parents on the well-being-operationalized as distress-of daughters aged 45 and older and to determine the moderating factors that can limit the potentially direct association between providing support and distress. Using data from "Family cohesion, intergenerational solidarity and conflict: Impact on the well-being of the older adult ", a survey conducted in 2009, which represents people aged 45 and older in Santiago, Chile, hierarchical linear regression models were calculated with clustered robust standard errors, using a sub-sample of 102 women with at least one living parent. No association was found between distress and providing regular care to one's father or mother; instead, an association was observed between perceived support and well-being. Even though providing support to older parents does not involve additional distress, having fewer siblings-especially having none-is associated with higher levels of emotional distress.