Attachment and obligation as daughters' motives for caregiving behavior and subsequent effect on subjective burden

Existing studies have failed to adequately determine the combined effects of attachment and filial obligation as motives for adult children's caregiving behavior. This study's aim was to clarify the effects of these motives on caregiving and subsequent feelings of burden. In a path analysis of data from 78 daughters caring for elderly mothers, both attachment and obligation were related to amount of help provided. Stronger attachment was related to less subjective burden, whereas stronger obligation was related to greater burden. Contextual variables also contributed to the explanation.