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Psychological Difficulties among Custodial Grandchildren
Gregory C Smith1, Bert Hayslip2, Britney A Webster1
1College of Education Health and Human Service, Kent State University, Kent OHIO 44242, United States of America.
Children and Youth Services Review
|June 4, 2020
Summary
Custodial grandchildren (CG) exhibit higher emotional and behavioral difficulties than peers. This public health issue requires attention, as CGs show significantly more challenges across multiple domains.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Public Health
- Family Studies
Background:
- Custodial grandchildren (CG) are a growing demographic facing unique challenges.
- Previous research on CGs' psychological well-being using national data is limited.
- Understanding CGs' emotional and behavioral health is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate psychological difficulties and prosocial behavior in custodial grandchildren (CG) using nationally representative data.
- To compare the mental health of CGs with age peers in various family structures.
- To identify risk factors and inform targeted interventions for CGs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) parent version for two CG samples (n=509, n=323) and three National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) peer samples (n=184, n=1618, n=3752).
- Employed a Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) to examine effects of sample type, child gender, and informant race on six SDQ subscales, controlling for age and education.
- Analyzed SDQ banded scores to assess diagnostic implications for CGs compared to other family structures.
Main Results:
- Custodial grandchildren (CG) samples consistently reported higher emotional/behavioral difficulties and lower prosocial scores than all NHIS peer samples.
- Effect sizes for differences between CG and NHIS samples ranged from moderate to very large.
- Male children, irrespective of family structure, exhibited higher difficulties and lower prosocial scores than females.
Conclusions:
- Primary school-aged custodial grandchildren (CG) are at high risk for internalizing and externalizing difficulties.
- CGs may require different diagnostic thresholds on the SDQ compared to children in other family structures.
- Findings underscore the need for targeted support and interventions for children in grandparent-led households.
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