Psychiatr Serv 60:982-984, July 2009
doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.60.7.982
© 2009 American Psychiatric Association
Aging Fathers of Adult Children With Schizophrenia: The Toll of Caregiving on Their Mental and Physical Health
Subharati Ghosh, M.S.W. and
Jan Greenberg, Ph.D.
The authors are affiliated with the Waisman Center and the School of Social Work, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1350 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706 (e-mail: sghosh1{at}wisc.edu). A draft of this brief report was presented at the 2008 Society for Social Work and Research Conference, January 17–20, 2008, Washington, D.C.
OBJECTIVE: The primary purpose of this study was to compare the physical and psychological well-being of caregiving fathers of an adult son or daughter with schizophrenia with a comparison group of fathers who do not have children with schizophrenia. METHODS: Data for the caregiving fathers (N=95) were drawn from a study of families of adults with schizophrenia; the comparison group of fathers (N=95) was drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (WLS). Samples were matched on sociodemographic variables and analyzed with independent-samples t tests. RESULTS: Fathers of adults with schizophrenia experienced higher levels of depression, poorer perceived health, lower levels of psychological well-being, and less marital satisfaction compared with their age-matched peers in the WLS. CONCLUSIONS: This study found hidden personal costs of caregiving among fathers of adults with schizophrenia; strategies are needed for supporting these fathers.
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