Factors affecting marital happiness of caregivers of the elderly in multigenerational families
Abstract Researchers have hypothesized that providing care to an elderly relative can negatively affect marital relationships of caregivers. However, no research has directly examined this issue. This study explored the impact of elderly depression and impairment, mental caregiving, caregiver/elderly person relationship closeness, spouse burden, and caregiver burden on caregiver marital happiness (and adjustment) in 90 multigenerational families. No significant relationship was found between these variables and caregiver marital adjustment. A causal model involving the six independent variables and caregiver marital happiness was developed and tested. Elderly depression and caregiver burden directly affected level of caregiver marital happiness. The other four independent variables affected caregiver marital happiness indirectly through caregiver burden. Implications for marriage and family therapists are discussed.
To the Editor.—I regret that paragraphs in my article, “What is the role of a Grandmother in a Malawian society and how can we as health care workers support her?,”1 published in the September, 2007, issue of the Malawi Medical Journal, were taken from another source without proper attribution. I should have cited the following article as the original source of the information: ::: ::: Judi Aubel. Grandmothers Promote Maternal and Child Health: the Role of Indigenous Knowledge Systems' Managers, published in Feb. 2006.World Bank newsletter, IK Notes. ::: ::: I regret any problems my article1 may have caused and I retract it from the literature. ::: ::: ::: Solomon Jonasi ::: ::: College of Medicine ::: ::: Malawi