ABSTRACT
This study examines factors that influence custodial grandparents' adjustment to the role of caregiving. Specifically, we explored grandparents': (a) caregiving styles, (b) coping styles, (c) perceptions of their grandchild's behavior problems, and (d) ascribed benefits as they all relate to caregiver adjustment. Participants for this study included grandparents raising at least one grandchild. Caregiving styles, coping styles, and benefit finding were found to impact caregiver adjustment. Authoritative caregiving and benefit finding were both related to higher satisfaction with caregiving; benefit finding was also related to caregiver reports that caring for their grandchild had less negative impact on their lives. Findings of this study suggest that custodial grandparents would benefit from an intervention that (at least in part) focuses on developing an authoritative caregiving style and learning to recognize the benefits of raising grandchildren. Effective interventions may also need to involve both custodial grandparents and their grandchildren, as grandchild internalizing and externalizing symptoms may prevent grandparents from capitalizing on their strengths in benefit finding and using certain coping styles to promote adjustment.
