Familism and Interpersonal Closeness as Determinants of the Adult Child’s Caregiving Relationship with a Mother Diagnosed with Cancer
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12923/2353-8627/2026-0003Keywords:
interpersonal closeness, oncological illness, adulthood, familism, caregivingAbstract
Introduction: A parent’s cancer diagnosis constitutes a profound and disruptive stressor that destabilizes the structural and dynamic functioning of the family system. Increasingly, informal caregiving responsibilities for aging and chronically ill parents are undertaken by young adults, who must simultaneously navigate educational, professional, and developmental demands. Psychological variables such as familism and interpersonal closeness may play a significant role in shaping the quality and characteristics of the caregiving relationship.
Aim: The aim of the study was to determine whether interpersonal closeness and the dimensions of familism can predict the quality of the caregiving relationship between an adult child and a mother diagnosed with breast cancer, as well as to compare the intensity of these variables between groups of young adults differing in their mothers’ health status.
Method: The study involved 200 young adults, 50% of whom had a mother diagnosed with breast cancer. Three psychological instruments were used: the Unidimensional Relationship Closeness Scale, the Familism Scale, the Caregiving Types of Aging Parents Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire.
Conclusions: Young adults whose mothers were diagnosed with breast cancer reported higher levels of interpersonal closeness and higher scores on most dimensions of family values, while simultaneously reporting lower scores regarding the caregiving relationship. Interpersonal closeness proved to be a negative indicator of the caregiving relationship in both groups of young adults, although in the group with an ill mother it was most strongly associated with affective caregiving. The belief in the necessity of fulfilling family obligations was a negative indicator of the caregiving relationship in the group with an ill mother. In contrast, religiosity was a positive indicator of instrumental caregiving.
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