Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

Social Work

Major Professor

Sondra J. Fogel, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Matthew Moore, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Nan Sook Park, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kerry Littlewood, Ph.D.

Committee Member

William E. Haley, Ph.D.

Keywords

abuse, caregiving, giving support, maltreatment, receiving support, social support

Abstract

Caregivers can experience higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression compared to non-caregivers. However, a growing body of literature is beginning to show that while caregiving may be stressful, there may also be benefits to the caregiver, such as feeling closer to the care recipient, a sense of purpose or personal growth. Further, research now demonstrates that giving support to others can be more beneficial than receiving support from others in terms of mental health and even mortality. While these are important advances in the literature, understanding the impacts of giving and receiving support on individuals who were maltreated by their care recipients in childhood is still unknown. As such, this study sought to understand the impact of giving and receiving support on the well-being of both caregivers who were maltreated and not maltreated by their care recipient in childhood. This study utilized a secondary data analysis from the Midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) study, a longitudinal study aimed at understanding the experience of individuals in their midlife. Using a negative binomial regression and a parallel moderation model, this study examined the impact of giving and receiving support to caregiver’s social network on well-being of caregivers who were maltreated and not maltreated, and whether one is more impactful than the other on their well-being. Results demonstrated that caregivers who were maltreated gave more hours of support to others than non-maltreated caregivers. However, they are not receiving different amounts of support than non-maltreated caregivers. The parallel moderation model revealed that maltreated caregivers experience worsened life satisfaction, negative affect and psychological well-being as compared to non-maltreated caregivers. No moderation effects were found for either giving or receiving support on life satisfaction or psychological well-being. However, giving support was found to moderate the relationship between caregiving maltreatment status and negative affect. Specifically, higher levels of giving support amplified negative affect among maltreated caregivers, whereas receiving support—particularly low giving paired with high receiving—attenuated distress. As such, giving support served as the biggest impactor of well-being in maltreated caregivers. Implications for social work practice with maltreated caregivers such as setting boundaries on giving and increasing support from others are discussed.

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