The immediate and long term legacy of relationships with grandparents for the well-being of grandchildren

Restricted until 4 Apr. 2010.This dissertation aimed to explain how involvement with grandparents influences psychosocial outcomes of grandchildren. More specifically, the objectives were to: (1) identify whether close and supportive relationships with grandparents reduce depressive symptoms and improve self-esteem of their late adolescent and young adult grandchildren, including whether grandchild-grandparent relationships moderate the negative effects of having been raised in alternative family structures or of having emotionally distant relationships with parents; (2) Describe the role of family functioning (turbulent home life, parental involvement) and explain under what conditions relationships with grandparents improve behavioral outcomes for grandchildren; and (3) Evaluate the role of grandparents in improving the educational aspirations of adult grandchildren. Analyses were performed using data from the National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) -- a three wave multigenerational study. Multiple regression results from the first study (N=932) showed that relationships with parents and cohesion with grandparents work together to improve psychological outcomes of grandchildren in single-parent homes. The second study (N=1326) demonstrated that grandparents reduce behavioral problems for grandchildren growing up in turbulent home environments. Finally, the third study (N=1215) demonstrated that greater cohesion with grandparents could increase the education aspirations of granddaughters but not grandsons. Taken together, this dissertation demonstrated that grandparents represent an adaptive resource in the family life of grandchildren from childhood through adulthood