Support for and From Aging Mothers Whose Adult Daughters are Seriously Mentally Ill

Abstract

This article discusses, from the grandmother’s perspective, the ways in which support is exchanged in families coping with serious mental illness. A strengths perspective was utilized to identify ways in which family members help each other. Employing a qualitative approach, this study focuses on interviews obtained from a sample of 22 aging mothers, aged 52–90, who are in contact with their daughters who have a mental illness. Grandmothers provided several kinds of support to their mentally ill adult daughters and to their grandchildren, who also supported the aging mother in numerous ways. As social workers seek to assist individuals with mental illness, it is important to assess the existing strengths of their intergenerational family context.

KEYWORDS:

• family constellation
• intergenerational support and mental illness

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grants from the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender and the University of Michigan Office of the Vice President for Research.