Work

Reflections on Death among Aging Mothers of Adult Children with Serious Conditions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The expected trajectory of parent-child relationships-parents investing in children for decades before eventually requiring their support-can take different shape when children's adult independence is constrained. Integrating the intergenerational stake hypothesis with the concept of generational maturity, this study explored one such case: how mothers of adult children with disabilities and other conditions requiring extensive care experienced and/or anticipated the later stages of their parenting journey. A thematic frame approach organized analyses of interview data from 72 mothers of adult children (82% whose children had serious conditions, mean age = 57). Mothers expressed grave concerns about their future deaths, focusing on who would care for their children, and tried to cope with their anxiety and guilt by concretely planning for their deaths and their children's futures. Some worried that their children might die first, including what their own lives would look like absent this closely identified maternal role.

Source: Research on Aging

DOI: 10.1177/01640275261474886

Authors: Robert Crosnoe, Carly Young, Makenna Huffman, Padma Jaghannaathan

Institution: The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: Intergenerational Family Dynamics and Caregiving

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,150