OFF-TIMEDNESS AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO SUBJECTIVE BURDENS FOR PARENTS OF OFFSPRING WITH SEVERE MENTAL-ILLNESS

Life-span theory suggests that parents undergo emotional distress as a result of their adult offsprings' failure to achieve normative goals. Using hierarchical regression analysis this study explores the degree to which off-timedness is predictive of four types of subjective burd en experienced by parents of adult children with severe mental illness . Results, suggest that off-timedness is associated with increased par ental feelings of worry and fear regarding their. offsprings' well-bei ng. Implications for clinicians and researchers are discussed.