P40: Character strengths as protective factors for the psychological well-being of grandparents

Abstract

Objective:

The aim of this study was to comprehend the role of character strengths as protective factors of grandparents ́ psychological well-being. Following the Lazarus and Folkman's stress model, our analyses incorporated three groups of variables (sociodemographic data, stress, and protective factors). Method: A sample of 536 grandparents participated in the study, which an average age of 70.23 (SD = 7.17). We conducted staged stepwise regression analyses to test our hypotheses.

Results:

Our results evidenced that younger grandparents and those providing supplementary care showed higher levels of psychological well-being than non-caregivers. Moreover, the analyses suggested that sociodemographic variables and the caregiving role lost their significance when psychological resources were taken into account. The character strengths of optimism, courage, humor, justice, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence explained the 32.7% of psychological well-being variance.

Conclusions:

Our study stands out the influence of character strengths on the well-being of grandparents who develop a role as supplementary caregivers for their grandchildren. It is essential to carry out psychoeducational programs that enhance the resources that can benefit the psychological well-being of grandparents.