Black Rural & Urban Caregivers-Mental Health/Functioning
Principal Investigator: Letha Chadiha, PhDFunder: National Institute on Aging and Office of Research on Women’s Health
Timeframe: 06/99-06/04
Affiliation: Center for Mental Health Services Research (CMHSR),
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Michigan (8/02-7/03)
Project Staff: Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, Co-Principal Investigator
Enola Proctor, PhD, Investigator
Peter Dore, Data Manager
Dorothy Tisdell, Field CoordinatorProject Contact: Letha Chadiha, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Michigan
School of Social Work #3692
1080 S. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106
Phone: 734-763-9396
FAX: 734-763-3372Project Update as of 03/07/2008:
Stage: Completed
Baseline Findings:Conference Presentations: not described on this page
Caregivers reported a strain level indicative of high stress
- Caregivers used a mix of formal and informal services by relying mainly on family members and professional services
- Caregivers reported need for more financial help and information about whom to ask for help
Forthcoming, In Press, or Published Papers:
Chadiha, L., & Fisher, R.H. (In press). Contributing factors to African-American women caregivers’ well-being. African American Research Perspectives. Ann Arbor, MI: Program for Research on African Americans & African American Mental Health Research Center. Institute for Social Research.
Description: This study assessed the mental health, social functioning, and service use of rural and urban African-American women who provide unpaid care to an elder (65 years and older). Using a cross-sectional research design and random sample of elders who are Medicare recipients, this study yielded data on 300 urban and 300 rural African-American women caregivers living in the St. Louis metropolitan and southeastern Missouri Bootheel area respectively. The study addressed four specific aims: (1) To assess and compare caregivers’ mental health and functioning; (2) To identify type and quality of caregivers’ formal and informal service use; (3) To determine caregiver and care recipient factors associated with caregivers’ mental health and social functioning; and (4) To determine caregiver and care recipient factors associated with caregivers’ service use. Trained African-American female interviewers screened elders by telephone for caregiver referrals and conducted personal in-home interviews using a structured questionnaire in their home. Study results will help guide development of policy, programs and services promoting African-American women caregivers’ mental health, social functioning, and service use.