Abstract:

Telephone interview data from the 1991 Canadian Survey on Ageing & Independence (N = 10,589 respondents age 65+) are used to test the relationship between stress, integration in close family & friend networks, & well-being, emphasizing parent status (PS) in older adults. It is hypothesized that the zero-order relationship often found between PS & well-being may be due to (1) a fundamental difference in the social support experiences of older parents & childless individuals; (2) different levels of stress among these groups; or (3) the potential of friends to be of greater importance than family in assuring well-being in older age. Results show that childless persons are less likely to have at least one close family member & have fewer close relatives. No PS differences are found regarding the likelihood of having a close friend or the number of close friends. Compared to parents, childless individuals experience less stress & similar levels of well-being. Finally, the nature of the stress, support, & well-being relationship appears to be the same regardless of PS.