Grossman Molli R, Gruenewald Tara L
a University of Southern California , Davis School of Gerontology , Los Angeles , California , USA.
b California State University, Long Beach , Long Beach , California , USA.
Clin Gerontol. 2017 Oct-Dec;40(5):435-447. doi: 10.1080/07317115.2017.1317686. Epub 2017 Apr 18.
Although a sizable body of research supports negative psychological consequences of caregiving, less is known about potential psychological benefits. This study aimed to examine whether caregiving was associated with enhanced generativity, or feeling like one makes important contributions to others. An additional aim was to examine the buffering potential of perceived generativity on adverse health outcomes associated with caregiving.
Analyses utilized a subsample of participants (n = 3,815, ages 30-84 years) from the second wave of the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS).
Regression analyses adjusting for sociodemographic factors indicated greater negative affect and depression (p < .001) and lower levels of positive affect (p < .01), but higher self-perceptions of generativity (p < .001), in caregivers compared with non-caregivers. This association remained after adjusting for varying caregiving intensities and negative psychological outcomes. Additionally, generativity interacted with depression and negative affect (p values < .05) to lessen the likelihood of health-related cutbacks in work/household productivity among caregivers.
Results suggest that greater feelings of generativity may be a positive aspect of caregiving that might help mitigate some of the adverse health and well-being consequences of care.
Self-perceptions of generativity may help alleviate caregiver burden and explain why some caregivers fare better than others.
尽管大量研究支持照料会带来负面心理影响，但对于潜在的心理益处却知之甚少。本研究旨在探讨照料是否与更强的繁衍感相关，即感觉自己对他人做出了重要贡献。另一个目的是检验感知到的繁衍感对与照料相关的不良健康结果的缓冲作用。
分析使用了来自美国中年发展全国调查（MIDUS）第二轮的参与者子样本（n = 3815，年龄30 - 84岁）。
在对社会人口学因素进行调整的回归分析中，与非照料者相比，照料者表现出更高程度的消极情绪和抑郁（p <.001）以及更低水平的积极情绪（p <.01），但有更高的繁衍感自我认知（p <.001）。在对不同的照料强度和负面心理结果进行调整后，这种关联依然存在。此外，繁衍感与抑郁和消极情绪存在交互作用（p值<.05），从而降低了照料者在工作/家庭生产力方面出现与健康相关的下降的可能性。
结果表明，更强的繁衍感可能是照料的一个积极方面，有助于减轻照料带来的一些不良健康和幸福后果。
繁衍感的自我认知可能有助于减轻照料者负担，并解释为什么一些照料者比另一些表现更好。
