Scholarship & Research
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Item Rural Grandparents raising grandchildren : predictors of parental stress(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2004) Conway, Marcia Anne; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bethany L. LetiecqThe number of grandparents raising grandchildren has increased dramatically in the West and throughout United States in recent years. Although research on grandparent caregivers is increasing, there remains little research that addresses the challenges and issues facing grandparents raising grandchildren in rural locales. To address this shortcoming, this study examines the parental stressors experienced by rural grandparent caregivers and explores individual, parental, and community level factors that may be related to stress including length of time in the primary caregiver role, grandparentsα income level, psychological well-being, parental confidence, and perceived social support. Eighty-three grandparents raising their grandchildren were recruited for this study from across the state using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Respondents were asked to fill out a survey about their experience raising their grandchild(ren). A total of forty-four grandparents participated in this study. Data indicate that as grandparents continue in the parenting role, their parental confidence and perceived social support increases. Significant differences were noted between American Indian and Caucasian caregivers. For example, American Indian caregivers reported experiencing significantly more time in the caregiving role, reported lower incomes, and experienced more depressive symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts. The best predictors of parental stress were depression and parental confidence. As depression increased, stress likewise increased. As parental confidence increased, parental stress decreased. These findings hold important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.Item Family coping and adaptation among grandparents rearing grandchildren(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2007) Porterfield, Fonda K.; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Bethany L. LetiecqOver the past decade, grandparent caregiving, in which grandparents take on the sole custody of their grandchildren without a parent present, has been one of the fastest growing family forms in the U.S. Most studies on grandparent caregiver functioning have focused on the challenges and deficits of grandfamilies. Little research has been conducted on the adaptive processes of grandparent caregivers and the coping mechanisms they employ to deal with parenting the second time around. The current study was based on qualitative data generated from 26 in-depth, face-to-face interviews with grandparents who were rearing their grandchildren. Interviews were conducted with 10 grandfathers and 23 grandmothers who were the sole care providers of their grandchildren. The majority of grandparents were providing care for their grandchildren due to their adult child's substance abuse and/or mental illness. During each interview, a semi-structured interview protocol was followed. These interviews began by generating a genogram of the family system, including four generations of the family: the grandparents' parents, the grandparents, their adult children, and their grandchildren.