Excerpt from: Psych Central (click for full article)
An aging parent who cares for an adult child with mental illness or developmental disabilities is at increased risk — 38 percent more — for developing disabilities as well, according to a new study.
The research sheds light on the economic and psychosocial challenges faced by parents of adult children with disabilities, compared with parents of children without disabilities.
The researchers found that when either parent becomes disabled, families experience lower financial well-being. This is especially true when an aging parent must take on the needs of an adult child with mental illness and a spouse who develops an age-related disability.
As a result, the overburdened parents become susceptible to developing disabilities and chronic conditions as they age.
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