Building a Model of Family Caregiving for Children with Emotional Disorders

Abstract

In this article we describe the results of an ongoing effort to better understand the caregiving process in families of children with severe emotional problems. We make two assumptions. First, we assume that these families are essentially like other families but are faced with a special challenge in raising and caring for their special children while at the same time performing the multiple tasks and demands faced by all families. Second, we assume that public policy and programs must be supportive of the care of these children in their own homes and communities whenever possible. The purpose of this article is to present a model of family caregiving that draws broadly from available theory and empirical literature in multiple fields and to subject this model to empirical testing. We use structural equation modeling with latent variables to estimate an empirical model based on the theoretical model. Results of the model testing point to the importance of the child's external problem behaviors and the family's socioeconomic status and coping strategies as determinants of caregiver stress. Other findings highlight difficulties in measuring and modeling the complex mediating process, which includes formal and informal supports, perceptions, and coping behaviors. The use of structural equation modeling can benefit our efforts to support families by making explicit our theories about the important dimensions of this process and the relationship between these dimensions, which can then be subjected to measurement and validation.