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Grandparents in a Parental or Near-Parental Role

Sources of Stress and Coping Mechanisms

Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, jlumpkin{at}latech.edu

Although about 11% of grandparents are raising their grandchildren, a larger percentage provide a significant amount of care and serve in a near-parental role. Both parental and near-parental roles create stress. The stressors that these grandparents face and the strategies that they use to cope were investigated in this descriptive, exploratory study. Those high in the near-parental role used coping strategies to a greater degree than did those who considered themselves low in this role. The near-parental-role grandparents reported using problem-focused strategies and dealing with the problems causing the stress head-on with a plan of action. They rely on their faith to make something good out of the situation. The grandparents also used the emotion-focused tactic of escapism and dreamed of the situation's "just going away." They also relied on social support and not just themselves to cope with the stress.

Key Words: grandparents • stress • coping • grandparents as parents

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