Understanding the mental health travails of custodial grandparents

Authors/Creators

Myra F. Taylor, Edith Cowan University
Ruth Marquis, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
Rachel Batten, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow
David A. Coall, Edith Cowan UniversityFollow

Abstract

Grandcarers are at-risk of poor mental health outcomes. Current knowledge of the support needs of grandcarers is fragmented. To help fill this knowledge gap qualitative analysis was undertaken on 49 interviews conducted with custodial grandparents. The findings reveal that conflicted occupational roles coupled with the complexity of the stressors facing grandcarers both contribute to their social isolation and to their self-doubts about their ability to adequately attend to their grandchildren’s needs. Greater awareness among occupational therapists (OTs) of custodial grandparents’ mental health travails and an increased understanding of key occupational therapy (OT) practice initiatives are central to addressing grandcarers’ mental health travails.

Document Type

Journal Article

Date of Publication

2016

Location of the Work

United States

Publication Title

Occupational Therapy in Mental Health

Publisher

Routledge / Taylor & Francis

School

School of Medical and Health Sciences

RAS ID

22148

Comments

Taylor, M., Marquis, R., Batten, R., & Coall, D. (2016). Understanding the mental health travails of custodial grandparents. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 32(2), 259-280. Available here.

Copyright

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