Our study explored the relationships between baby boomer grandparents' mental health and the multiple roles they commonly fulfi l: Grandchild care, other family care, home duties, and paid work. There is limited research on non-custodial grandparenting. Studies to date have suggested that psychosocial distress may be more associated with satisfaction levels than with actual time spent on activities, but these studies are mainly qualitative and have not always excluded grandparents who only provide secondary grandchild care. Our on-line survey asked 148 non-custodial Australian boomer grandparents (90 female, 58 male) providing regular sole or primary childcare for at least one grandchild about their experiences. Spearman correlations confi rmed signifi cant correlations between satisfaction and psychological health (distress and self-esteem), whereas time spent providing care was not signifi cantly related to psychological health. Unlike previous researchers we identifi ed few signifi cant gender differences, perhaps because we focussed on grandparents providing sole or primary care. These outcomes provide direction for parents, grandparents, and policy makers addressing the needs of this social group.
Pregnancy, birth, and becoming a parent involves substantial changes at biological, psychological, social, and broader cultural levels. As such, it is a continuing process of adaptation to change and new demands. This chapter provides an overview of risk and resilience in pregnancy, birth, and the transition to parenthood and the impact of these experiences on both women and their infants. The first part of the chapter provides an overview of experiences of pregnancy and birth and risks that arise, in particular trauma that may be experienced during birth. The second part looks at resilience in pregnancy and birth, what we know, and what we still need to know in this area. The third part looks at theories of resilience relevant to the perinatal period and how it is important to look at resilience at different levels (e.g. epi/genetic, personal attributes, relationships, support systems, culture, and environment). The authors conclude with key considerations for future research and theory in this area.
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