‘I just feel so unloved’: using grounded theory to explore adult children’s experiences of unresponsiveness from their parents living with dementia
A conceptual model illustrates the dynamic interplay of experiences, reactions, and meanings given to unresponsiveness. Novel findings suggest perceptions of unresponsiveness from parents with dementia may lead to disorganized attachment patterns and compromised self-images in adult child caregivers. The conceptual model may enhance caregiver support by helping clinicians normalize and address these experiences.
Authors
- Marie‐Anne Suizzo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2569-7938)
- Joan K. Monin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1729-0230)
- Dev Crasta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6304-8544)
- Hillary D. Lum (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5637-3912)
- Kristie Wood (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2744-6646)
Institutions
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
- University of Rochester Medical Center (US)
- Yale University (US)
- Canandaigua VA Medical Center (US)
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- University of Colorado Denver (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Aging & Mental Health
- Published
- 2025-05-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2025.2508757
- Primary Topic
- Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- University of Texas at Austin
- National Institute on Aging
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz Medical Campus