Shifren K
Towson University, MD 21252-0001, USA.
Gerontologist. 2001 Apr;41(2):188-90. doi: 10.1093/geront/41.2.188.
Limited information is available on the effects of caregiving experiences on the adult development of caregivers under 21 years old in the United States. The current study provided an examination of the effects of youthful caregiving on the mental health of these persons when adults.
Twelve individuals, 23 to 58 years old, were given brief phone interviews with semistructured questions, and then they completed questionnaires on their early caregiving experiences and current mental health. To be included, respondents must have provided primary caregiving assistance (i.e., bathing, dressing, feeding, etc.) for at least one parent when the caregiver was under 21 years old.
The findings showed that individuals were young caregivers for parents with a number of problems, ranging from dementia to drug abuse. Individuals reported more positive mental health than negative mental health, and only two individuals had scores indicative of clinical depressive symptoms.
It appears that early caregiving experiences may not result in universally negative consequences in the adulthood of young caregivers.
关于在美国照顾他人的经历对21岁以下照顾者成年期发展的影响，现有信息有限。本研究探讨了年轻时照顾他人对这些人成年后心理健康的影响。
对12名年龄在23至58岁之间的个体进行了简短的电话访谈，访谈采用半结构化问题，然后他们填写了关于早期照顾他人经历和当前心理健康状况的问卷。被纳入研究的受访者必须在21岁之前至少为一位父母提供过主要的照顾帮助（如洗澡、穿衣、喂食等）。
研究结果表明，这些个体在年轻时照顾的父母存在多种问题，从痴呆到药物滥用。个体报告的心理健康状况积极多于消极，只有两人的得分表明有临床抑郁症状。
早期照顾他人的经历似乎并不会在年轻照顾者成年后普遍产生负面后果。
