AMOUNT OF CARE GIVEN AND CAREGIVING SATISFACTION - A LATENT GROWTH CURVE ANALYSIS

We examined the wear-and-tear hypothesis using data from 4 annual inte rviews with 130 (128 White) middle-aged daughters caring for their phy sically impaired, elderly mothers. We formulated a latent growth curve model hypothesizing that increases in the amount of care given by dau ghters caused a decrease in caregiving satisfaction, independent of ca regiving duration. We found considerable individual variability and ch ange in both caregiving satisfaction and the amount of care given in u nivariate latent growth curve analyses. Contrary to the wear-and-tear hypothesis, a multivariate latent growth curve analysis revealed durat ion of caregiving had no effect on either initial caregiving satisfact ion or change in satisfaction. An elaborated wear-and-tear model was s upported, however. The mechanism for decline in satisfaction is an inc rease in the amount of care given.