Department of Sociology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2022 Jul 5;77(7):1294-1304. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbab164.
The literature on the gendered differences of mental health as a result of grandchild care has shown mixed results. Research on grandchild care further suggests that nonresidential grandchild care improves mental health outcomes, while residential grandchild care arrangements decrease mental health outcomes in grandparents. The moderating or buffering role of social engagement remains understudied in the grandchild care-mental health relationship. This study examines mental health effect differences between caregiving grandmothers and grandfathers and the moderating effects of social engagement.
Using 2002-2012 data from the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults aged 50 and older, I examine the mental health effects of grandchild care and the moderating effect of social engagement in fixed effects models.
Grandfathers experience particularly worsened mental health outcomes when providing grandchild care in a skipped-generation household. Both grandmothers and grandfathers experience mental health improvements from increased social engagement. Social engagement, particularly for grandmothers, serves as a buffer or produces role enhancement for grandmothers in skipped-generation care arrangements.
Nonresidential and residential grandchild care affects mental health outcomes differently for grandmothers and grandfathers. However, social engagement consistently serves as a buffer or mental health improvement for all grandparents. Findings further encourage the continued study of social engagement and gender differences in older adults more broadly.
有关孙辈照料对心理健康的性别差异的文献研究结果喜忧参半。有关孙辈照料的研究进一步表明，非居住型孙辈照料能改善祖辈的心理健康状况，而居住型孙辈照料安排则会降低祖辈的心理健康状况。在孙辈照料与心理健康的关系中，社会参与的调节或缓冲作用仍研究不足。本研究考察了照顾孙辈的祖母和祖父之间的心理健康效应差异，以及社会参与的调节作用。
本研究使用了 2002 年至 2012 年美国健康与退休研究的数据，这是一项针对 50 岁及以上美国成年人的全国代表性样本，我在固定效应模型中考察了孙辈照料的心理健康效应以及社会参与的调节效应。
祖父在隔代家庭中提供孙辈照料时，心理健康状况尤其恶化。祖母和祖父的社会参与度增加，心理健康状况都有所改善。社会参与，特别是对祖母而言，在隔代照料安排中起到了缓冲作用或增强了祖母的角色。
非居住型和居住型孙辈照料对祖母和祖父的心理健康状况有不同的影响。然而，社会参与始终是所有祖父母的缓冲或心理健康改善因素。这些发现进一步鼓励更广泛地研究社会参与和老年人中的性别差异。
