Cross-Cultural Differences in the Experience of Grandparent-Grandchild Relationships and Related Psychosocial Outcomes

Perceived Impact, Needs, and Resources of Grandparents of Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: A Qualitative Study

Grandparents play different roles in families of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. They are frequently engaged in caregiving tasks with the person on the autism spectrum, providing emotional and instrumental support to the family. However, despite their frequent involvement and the importance of their role in the family, there are few studies that address the experiences of these grandparents, particularly in the Spanish and southern Europe context. This study explores the impact and needs of having a grandchild on the autism spectrum and the resources that grandparents have and use to face the difficulties that arise. A semi-structured interview was carried out with 17 grandparents of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum. We conducted a coding reliability thematic analysis of the impact and used a quantitative content analysis of grandparents' needs and resources. Results indicated three main aspects related to the impact: personal growth, wanting to help and not being able to, and suffering at three levels: for themselves, their sons and daughters, and grandchildren. Grandparents perceived needs in four contexts: their own needs, the needs of the nuclear family, the needs of the person on the autism spectrum, and the needs of society. The most frequent needs were informational and management of behavioral difficulties. In the resources, the most frequently used strategies were religious beliefs and informal support seeking. It is essential to address the quality of parents-grandparents' relationships, and include grandparents in intervention programmes, as a way of addressing grandparents' needs.

Continuity in Socialization Styles: Typologies of Socialization in the Different Life Stages of Older People

The purpose of this research was to identify the socialization styles of the older person (such as authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian, and negligent) in three different roles: (1) nowadays as a grandparent, (2) considering the style used to educate their own children in the past; and (3), considering the socialization style they received when they were children. The sample (317 people over 65 years old with at least one grandchild aged up to 16 years old participated) received the questionnaire on socialization styles in those roles. The results showed the predominance of the indulgent style in their role as grandparents. Almost 80% showed intergenerational continuity between at least two roles, with the exception of those with a neglectful style. Continuity in socialization style is crucial to understanding the dynamics within family relationships, which have highly durable intergenerational ties.

Socioemotional and Behavioral Problems of Grandchildren Raised by Grandparents: The Role of Grandparent-Grandchild Relational Closeness and Conflict

This study examined the associations of grandparent-grandchild relational closeness and conflict with grandchildren's socioemotional and behavioral problems, including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and abnormal prosocial behaviors. We analyzed primary cross-sectional survey data collected from custodial grandparents in the United States using logistic regression models. The results indicated that grandparent-grandchild relational closeness was significantly associated with lower odds of custodial grandchildren having emotional symptoms, conduct problems, peer problems, and abnormal prosocial behaviors, whereas grandparent-grandchild relational conflict was significantly associated with higher odds of emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and abnormal prosocial behaviors. Implications for increasing grandparent-grandchild relational closeness and decreasing relational conflicts among grandparent-headed families are discussed, which might improve grandchildren's socioemotional and behavioral well-being.

The Mentoring Relationship with the Closest Grandparent and Identity Processes Among Emerging Adult Grandchildren in Poland: The Role of Perceived Grandparents’ Perspective Taking

The aim of the current study was to examine the mentoring relationship with the closest grandparent, considering perceived grandparent’s perspective taking, and identity processes among Polish emerging adult grandchildren. A total of 424 emerging adults (41.3% male) aged 18–25 completed self-assessment measures. The structural equation modeling analysis revealed positive associations between perception of mentoring relationships with the closest grandparent (mostly grandmother), their perspective taking, and emerging adults’ identity synthesis. The results indicated no significant gender differences in the hypothesized model. To sum up, relationships with grandparents may be perceived as important in promoting coherent identity development among emerging adults.

Long-Term Impact of Grandchild Caregiving Trajectories on Depression in Middle-Aged and Older Chinese People: A Longitudinal Study

There has been little research investigating the effects of caregiving for grandchildren on grandparents' mental health from a dynamic perspective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects on caregivers' depression of changes in grandparenting intensity. The study population included 8,157 respondents obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Latent growth mixture modeling was used to group respondents into five classes of trajectory of caregiving intensity as follows: "sharply decreasing", "never or rarely", "slowly decreasing", "increasing", and "continuously high". A generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) and a marginal structural model (MSM) both associated the "continuously high" and "sharply decreasing" intensities with depression. "Continuously high" intensity significantly increased the risk of depression in the male group only. Further research should be conducted to analyze the deep-seated mechanisms of association between grandparenting and mental health, in different cultural contexts and among subgroups with different characteristics.

The Associations between Mothers' and Grandmothers' Depressive Symptoms, Parenting Stress, and Relationship with Children: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model

Three-generation households that include parents and grandparents raising children together have become increasingly common in China. This study examined the relations among depressive symptoms, parenting stress, and caregiver-child relationships in the mother-grandmother dyadic context. Participants were mothers and grandmothers from 136 three-generation households. Results from Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Modeling indicated that mothers' depressive symptoms were indirectly related to mother-child conflict/closeness through own parenting stress; grandmothers' depressive symptoms were indirectly related to grandmother-child conflict through own parenting stress. Mothers' depressive symptoms were indirectly related to grandmothers' conflict with children through grandmothers' parenting stress, and grandmothers' depressive symptoms were indirectly related to mothers' conflict/closeness with children through mothers' parenting stress. The relation between mothers' parenting stress and mother-child closeness was stronger than the relation between grandmothers' parenting stress and grandmother-child closeness. Findings highlight the implications of using a family system perspective and the dyadic approach in understanding and improving family functioning in Chinese three-generation households.