Filial maturity as a predictor for the burden of demented parents' caregivers

In this study, we administered the Louvain Filial Maturity Scale [Marcoen 1993] to 61 adult children of demented elderly. The scores of the seven factors of this scale were compared to the scores of an unselected group of adult children examined by Marcoen. The results were taken into the context with caregiver's burden, and the effect of filial maturity on parents' institutionalisation was investigated. Marcoen's results were confirmed. Only the means of "filial help" and "parental consideration" differed slightly from the means of the unselected group. Overall, filial maturity had no influence on the caregiver's feeling of burden, but higher "parental consideration" resulted in lower caregiver burden. In addition, adult children with more "filial obligation" continued to care for their parents in the community more often, even when experiencing great burden and stress. However, institutionalisation was caused mainly by parents' growing needs and increasing behavioural problems. We conclude that "filial maturity" seems to be a very stable concept. Further investigations should focus on the relevance of the Louvain Filial Maturity Scale for caregiving relationship and also on the arrangement of the scale in order to exclude a "pseudo"-stability with regard to burdensome life events and situations.