Elizabeth Lehr Essex

Differences in coping effectiveness and well-being among aging mothers and fathers of adults with mental retardation

In this longitudinal study, we examined stress and coping processes among 133 married mothers (age 59 to 83) and fathers (age 56 to 84) of adults with mental retardation (age 19 to 53). There were no differences between mothers and fathers with respect to their frequency of use of emotion-focused coping, but mothers used significantly more problem-focused coping strategies than did their husbands. For mothers, greater use of problem-focused coping strategies and lower use of emotion-focused coping buffered the impacts of caregiving stress on their psychological well-being. However, for fathers, no buffering effects of coping were detected. The implications of gender differences in coping effects were examined in the context of the impact of lifelong caregiving.

Quality of Life as Perceived by Older Persons with Chronic Illness in Rural and Urban Shandong, China

This qualitative study aimed to understand the meaning of quality of life to older persons with chronic illness in China, and to compare the perceptions of those living in rural and urban areas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 older Chinese, half residing in urban and half in rural areas in Shandong province. Through an inductive coding and categorization process, the study identified two shared domains of quality of life: basic necessities and family wellness. Two additional domains, physical health and mood and spirit, were endorsed predominantly by urban residents. Entertainment and leisure comprised a quality of life domain for urban residents only. Cohort experience and cultural values likely played a role in shared beliefs about quality of life, whereas socioeconomic context may account for differences in rural and urban conceptions. An implication of the findings is that for older Chinese with chronic illness, developing and sustaining programs to meet basic needs is critical to quality of life.

Predictors of Loneliness Among Court-Involved and Substance Abusing Mothers

Abstract This study examined predictors of loneliness among 94 urban mothers with a history of substance abuse and criminal justice involvement. The study replicated the finding that loneliness is significantly related to level of substance abuse. Significant predictors of loneliness included co-occurring conditions of the mother, the number of minors in the home, the level of domestic violence, informal social support, and service satisfaction. Based on these findings, the authors suggest that work with substance abusing mothers involved with the criminal justice system should address multiple ecological levels, including characteristics of the mother and her children, partner relations, and informal and formal social supports.

Older case management clients with younger family members in need of care: interdependencies and well-being.

This exploratory study investigated caregiving and interdependencies in families of frail older case management clients who coreside with younger individuals in need of care. Analyses were based on interviews with 78 older adults recruited from a large urban case management program. To be eligible for the study, the older adult had to coreside with an individual under age 60 who had disabilities or chronic health problems and/or with minors. Results indicated that the majority of older adults were primary caregivers for at least one younger individual. In a substantial number of families, the older adult depended on a younger adult with disabilities for primary care. Older adults who lived with both younger adults with disabilities and minors experienced more negative affect than those who lived with only one of these two kinds of younger individuals. Positive affect among elders living with younger adults with disabilities was positively related to the number of formal services received by the younger adults. The implications of these findings for service delivery to families with complex needs for care are discussed.