Process-Outcome Relationships and Solution-Based Goal-Setting Interventions With Grandparent Caregivers

Abstract

The present study examines the impact of change processes on outcomes in a solution-based thinking and goal-setting intervention for grandparents raising their grandchildren. We found that across the 6 program sessions there was stability and/or increases in the salience of hypothesized change processes, i.e., hopefulness about the future, solution-based thinking, positive thoughts about one's grandchild, multiple indicators of decisional personal goal-setting regarding one's own well-being and grandchild relationship quality. Indicators of change processes were for the most part, related to both post-program outcomes as well as to pre-post program outcome difference scores. Regression analyses suggested that change processes in many cases partially mediated pre-post primary program outcome scores. These data suggest that how grandmother caregivers think about themselves and their grandchildren and their approach to setting personal goals are key change processes explaining the impact of a solution-based, goal-setting intervention on them.

Positive Health Behavior Changes in Custodial Grandparents and Grandchildren Following an Intervention

“…The findings from this study include individual and family-level changes. This is consistent with previous intervention research reporting that grandparents raising grandchildren can: improve their parenting practices [ 16 , 19 ]; increase resourcefulness and resiliency [ 18 ]; decrease psychological distress and depressive symptoms [ 19 ]; set solution-focused goals for the future [ 21 ]. The inclusion of grandchildren is unique to the current study as they are often neglected in grandfamily focused interventions [ 4 ].…”

“…These difficulties are due to the common reasons (e.g., parental alcohol and drug use and abuse, abandonment, neglect, physical and emotional abuse towards grandchildren, parental death or divorce, and/or involved with child protective services) why the middle-generation (i.e., parent) may be absent from parenting, age and cohort differences between grandparents, parents, and grandchildren, and the diversity of grandfamily needs [ 1 , 4 , 15 ]. However, it is known that grandparent participants in training programs for skipped-generation families: improve their parenting skills [ 16 ]; increase levels of individual empowerment [ 17 ] and resourcefulness [ 18 ]; reduce psychological distress [ 19 ], implement self-care practices [ 20 ], and raise overall well-being [ 21 ].…”