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Women typically report greater burden associated with caregiving than do men. We used data from interviews with 131 older spouse caregivers to explore potential explanations for this difference. A linear regression model explained 35% of the variance in caregiver burden. The patient's cognitive and behavioral difficulties emerged as the most important predictor of burden, followed by caregiver age, unpleasant social contacts, caregiver sex, and overall coping effectiveness. Findings suggest that age differences in male and female caregivers contribute to the observed differences in burden.

This article reports the results of an in-depth, descriptive study of long-term welfare recipients. A random sample of 284 respondents, all of whom had received public assistance for at least 36 months, were interviewed. Results illustrate personal barriers to self-sufficiency, including physical health problems that prevent work, severe domestic violence, educational deficits, substance abuse, learning disabilities, child behavior problems, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and clinical depression. Study findings underscore the complex, persistent, and multiple difficulties experienced by this population and suggest that for some welfare recipients, long-term (even lifelong) financial supports and social services may be in order. Implications for policy and programming are discussed.

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