The pathway to grandparenting stress: trauma, relational conflict and emotional well-being

Abstract

Objectives: This paper examines the mediating effect of child–grandparent conflict on the relationship between child trauma exposure and grandparenting stress.Methods: Data was collected from a sample of custodial grandparents who participated in kinship care or relative caregiving programs (n = 251). Grandparenting stress was measured with Parenting Stress Scale (Berry & Jones, 1995.) modified for grandparents. A series of regression models and structural equation models (SEM) were used to test the relationship between the number of different types of child trauma exposures and grandparenting stress, and to examine the mediating effect of child–grandparent conflicts on the relationship.