“It Makes Me Feel like Good Inside Because I Helped Him Do Stuff” – Perceptions of Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents Providing Dementia Care

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ames A ; Perion J ; Steiner V ; Ames A ; Perion J ; Steiner V
• Description:
  According to a 2018 report by the Alzheimer's Association, an estimated 250,000 children help support a family member with dementia, but few studies exist that describe their experience as family carers. This qualitative descriptive study sought to understand the perceived psychological well-being of adolescents who assist with providing care to family members with dementia. Eleven adolescents ages 12 to 17 caring for older non-parental family members with dementia in northwest Ohio participated in one of three focus group discussions. An adult family member was surveyed about family background and level of assistance provided. The data from the two questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Thematic analysis revealed six themes related to psychological well-being: 1) Feeling compassion for the family member; 2) Finding connection through fun, humor, and mutual affection; 3) Helping even though it is not always pleasant; 4) Feeling good inside about helping family "do stuff"; 5) Believing no one can do it like family; and 6) Reflecting that it is just something that they do. The findings of this study provide new insight into adolescents' experiences of dementia family care and how it affects their psychological well-being. An examination of the themes suggests that secondary caring roles were mostly positive in nature and may help adolescents forge closer family relationships, find opportunities for personal growth and development, and overcome challenges to grow more confident. These findings may also suggest ways to include adolescents in family care as a means of positive growth opportunities. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Aging Family Mental Health Nervous System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Adolescents Author Keywords: Adolescent Carers Dementia Families Family Care Intergenerational Care Mental Health Psychological Effects Psychological Well-being Psychology Qualitative Analysis

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• ISSN:
  0890-4065
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Volume:
  56
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068186
• Citation:
  J Aging Stud 2021 Mar; 56:100908
• Contact Point Address:
  Jennifer Perion MLS, CHES, The University of Toledo School of Population Health HH 1000c, Mail Stop 119, Toledo, OH, United States of America
• Email:
  Jennifer.Perion@rockets.utoledo.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of Cincinnati
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Aging Studies
• End Date:
  20260630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c8dbdadbe44dceec86b8ad4941887971d5b23d54f13f1989a24ff8815660c92964d444a94b58a4671d18f74f914d3decfede0f313f627e7c9d01de193c6b07f8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230396/cdc_230396_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 363.06 KB ]