Caring for Grandchildren: Assessing the Psychological Well-being of Urban Grandparents

Abstract

Introduction: Grandparents hold significant responsibility alongside parents in nurturing and raising theirgrandchildren. This dynamic not only strengthens familial ties but also supports employed parents. Methods: Thishousehold study aimed to assess the psychological well-being (PSW) of 171 urban grandparents, selected purposively,through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire conducted from January to December 2018in Uttara, Dhaka. Results: The mean age of the grandparents was 57.9 years, and more than half of them (53.8%)were under 60 years old. A significant number of grandparents experienced severe stress (70.8%), along with mildanxiety (69.6%) and depression (61.4%). In contrast, only a small portion of grandparents (5.3%) reported feelingsof loneliness within their family. Individuals under the age of 60 exhibited higher mean scores for stress, loneliness,anxiety, and depression in comparison to those aged 60 and above. There was also a positive correlation observedbetween the total scores of loneliness, anxiety, and depression with the total scores of stress (p<0.05). Conclusion: The majority of grandparents experienced high levels of stress, and some were suffered from loneliness, anxiety anddepression. To enhance the PSW of grandparents, efforts should focus on improving their quality of life.