ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the lives of caregivers in different settings and in different stages of the life course. It suggests that the comparative study of different caregiving experiences might assist in better understanding the key elements that shape caregivers’ lives: Those factors that assist family members in shouldering the burden of care and those that may exacerbate the negative consequences of providing such care. The chapter identifies the potentially important aspects of the caregiving process that may have implications for future studies of caregiving in a variety of different circumstances. It discusses the utility of the stress process for understanding variations in psychological distress among caregivers and explains the impact of social stressors on psychological distress. The chapter also examines the impact of stressful life experiences varies substantially according to which caregivers. It is interesting to note that these correlations are weakest among those individuals who provide care to individuals with psychiatric or developmental problems.
