National Trends in Social Support Among Grandparent Caregivers, 2018-2023

Background and Purpose: Grandparent caregivers report worse mental and physical health than their non-caregiving counterparts. They also face significant stress and caregiver burden often due to the demands of raising grandchildren with trauma histories and managing complex dynamics with the child’s biological parent. Higher levels of social support among grandparent caregivers are associated with better health outcomes and reduced stress. However, grandparent caregivers often face barriers obtaining social support which were likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research suggests that men and women experience and utilize social support networks differently, with grandmothers reporting stronger social support networks than grandfathers. Yet, little is known about how social support among grandparent caregivers has changed over time and how these changes may differ by gender. Using a nationally representative sample, the purpose of this study is to examine changes in social support over time among grandparent caregivers and determine if these changes varied by gender.

Methods: Data on grandparent-headed households were obtained from the 2018–2023 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) (n = 11,355). The NSCH is an annual, nationally representative study examining the wellbeing of children and their caregivers in the United States. Social support was measured by eight items capturing formal and informal sources. Responses were summed to create a total score. Controlling for sociodemographic factors (age, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, urbanicity, and other caregivers living in the home), a fixed-effects regression model examined changes in social support over time and whether these changes were different for male and female grandparent caregivers.

Results: The sample was predominantly female (79%) and comprised of participants who identified as White non-Hispanic (40%), were married (53%), lived in urban areas (84%), had a high school education (35%), and had a biological parent living in the home (49%). The mean age was 60 (SD = 16.34). Results showed a significant decline in social support over time for all grandparent caregivers (B = -0.24, p < .01) and a significant time by gender interaction (B = -0.08, p < .05). A simple slopes analysis decomposing this interaction indicated that while female grandparents showed higher levels of social support prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of decline in social support was higher for female grandparents compared to male grandparents such that by 2023, female grandparents showed slightly lower social support than male grandparents.

Conclusion and Implications: Despite the passage of critical legislation such as the Supporting Grandparent Caregivers Act of 2018, social support among grandparent caregivers appears to be declining, particularly among women, which may exacerbate declining health and well-being. Additional policy and practice investments are needed to improve and expand access to social support for this population. Furthermore, additional research is warranted to explore the context of social support experiences and how they differ by gender among grandparent caregivers. Findings from this study may inform more equitable caregiver support systems and the development of gender-responsive interventions.