2011/03/01 by Martin Pinquart, Silvia Sörensen · 1 citation
Medicine · Social Sciences · #Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research #Family Support in Illness #Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
paper · doi:10.1037/a0021863
openalex publication_date 2011/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The present meta-analysis integrates the results from 168 empirical studies on differences between caregiving spouses, adult children, and children-in-law. Spouses differ from children and children-in-law significantly with regard to sociodemographic variables; also, they provide more support but report fewer care recipient behavior problems. Spouse caregivers report more depression symptoms, greater financial and physical burden, and lower levels of psychological well-being. Higher levels of psychological distress among spouses are explained mostly--but not completely--by higher levels of care provision. Few differences emerge between children and children-in-law, but children-in-law perceive the relationship with the care recipient as less positive and they report fewer uplifts of caregiving.