A new landmark study has shown that grandmothers that raise their grandchildren full-time need help to prevent depression and stress.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing discovered that many second generation offspring are given back to senior family members because of health or legal problems.
Some 240 grandmothers were studied by scientists so that their mental and physical wellbeing could be monitored.
It was discovered that many subjects developed depression over the course of the research period.
However, scientists also found that the grandmothers, who averaged 57.5 years old at the study’s onset, were generally very open to receiving help with mental health problems, which will come as a relief to counsellors looking to address the difficulties multi-generational carers have.
Carol Musil, professor of nursing at Case Western Reserve and lead author, said: “Although we expected the primary caregiver grandmothers raising grandchildren would have more strain and depressive symptoms, we were surprised at how persistent these were over the years examined in the study.”
