SENSE OF RELATEDNESS AND INTERPERSONAL NETWORK OF ADULT OFFSPRING CAREGIVERS - LINKAGES WITH CRISIS, EMOTIONAL AROUSAL, AND PERCEIVED HEALTH

A descriptive correlational design was used to explore factors that in fluence the well-being of 168 adult offspring who were caring for a de pendent parent, Subjects were queried about their health, relationship s within their interpersonal networks, and experiences with crisis in the previous 6 months of caregiving. The findings suggest that althoug h relatedness and interface with an interpersonal network are interrel ated with one another in both crisis and noncrisis situations, related ness appears to be more important for adult offsprings' sense of well- being in the presence of crisis than in the absence of crisis, In cont rast, adult offsprings' interface with an interpersonal environment ap pears to be more important for their sense of well-being in the absenc e of crisis than in the presence of crisis, The results have implicati ons for ways in which nurses can help adult offspring sustain the will and strength to thrive in the role of filial caregiver. (C) 1996 by W .B. Saunders Company