Gender Difference in Caregiving Experience and the Importance of Social Participation and Marital Satisfaction Among Aging Mothers and Fathers of Adults With Schizophrenia

Abstract

This article examines difference in caregiving experiences between fathers and mothers who have a son or a daughter with schizophrenia. We assess differences in predictors of burden, depressive symptoms, and positive psychological well-being and the stress-buffering effects of social participation and marital satisfaction. To test the hypothesized relationships, we sampled a hundred caregiving couples who were drawn from a study of aging families of adults with schizophrenia. Results show men and women to be equally vulnerable to caregiving stressors. While neither marital satisfaction nor social participation buffered the effects of stress on well-being, they each predicted positive well-being outcomes for both parents.

Keywords:

• gender differences
• social participation
• marital satisfaction
• caregiving
• schizophrenia