The Mental Health Well-Being of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine if raising grandchildren is related to diminished mental health well-being in custodial grandparents compared to contemporaries who are not raising grandchildren. Relevant studies were identified via comprehensive literature searches of electronic databases. We included six studies in the meta-analysis. A random effects model was used to calculate effect sizes. The results of the meta-analysis yielded a statistically significant, small-to-moderate summary effect size (ES) indicating caregiving grandparents generally experience a larger degree of adverse mental health outcomes than their non-parenting counterparts. While previous studies have produced conflicting results regarding the mental health outcomes experienced by custodial grandparents, the present meta-analysis findings provide another level of evidence that substantiates their emotional vulnerability. Recommendations for subsequent research are discussed.