Grandparents raising grandchildren in Australia: exploring psychological health and grandparents' experience of providing kinship care

This study explores relationships between the psychological health of grandparents raising grandchildren and grandchildren's social, emotional and behavioural issues. Fifty-two grandparents raising grandchildren (Caregiving) and an age-matched sample (N = 45) of grandparents who were not the primary caregivers of their grandchildren (Non-caregiving) participated in the study. All participants completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale Questionnaire (DASS21), and grandparents in the care-giving group completed the Caregiver form of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and a semi-structured telephone interview. Grandparents in the Caregiving group scored higher on all three DASS21 subscales than the Non-caregiving group. Statistically significant associations were found between grandparents' DASS21 scores and grandchildren's SDQ scores. Qualitative analyses of interviews were conducted describing a priori themes of conflict, challenges and rewards, and emergent themes of no choice/option, duty and pride. Clinical implications of this study point to the importance of providing increased levels of psychological support for grandparents and grandchildren. Longitudinal studies are needed.