Behavioral patterns and mental health problems in the parent-child caregiving

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the structure of behavioral patterns in parent-child caregiving and their relations to caregiving burdens and mental health problems. For data, we recruited 534 adult children who were caring for or had cared for their parents at home to complete the questionnaire. Factor analysis for items on behavioral patterns showed five factors: “immersion,” “letting-go caregiving,” “utilization of services,” “autopilot,” and “adjusting to oneself or one’s parents.” No significant differences between caregiving dyads were found in any of five factors. “Autopilot” had a positive explanatory power for caregiving burdens. “Immersion” and “autopilot” had positive explanatory power for mental health problems. “Letting-go caregiving,” in contrast, had negative explanatory power. Based on the above, the following supports could reduce mental health problems: reducing the desirability of control and sharing feelings and daily parents’ condition against “immersion,” exercising mindfulness against “autopilot,” coordinating family relationships and providing peer support for “letting-go caregiving.”