Resolution of a Parent’s Disease: Attachment and Well-Being in Offspring of Parents Diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most common chronic, progressive neurodegenerative diseases, with well-developed research focusing on the caregiver-spouse showing low well-being along with predeath grief and feelings of loss among caregivers. However, offspring of a parent diagnosed with PD may also suffer predeath grief and loss even if they are not their parent‘s main caregiver. Yet, this research is not well developed. Objective: The objective of the current study was to examine offspring’s coming to terms with their parent’s PD and the well-being of the offspring, within the conceptual framework of attachment theory. Methods: Seventy-one Israeli adult children of parents with PD participated in the study and completed self-report questionnaires assessing their resolution of their parent‘s PD, attachment, well-being, and the severity of the PD symptoms. Results: Results showed that attachment anxiety negatively associated with higher resolution of the parent’s disease, beyond the effect of the PD symptoms’ severity. In addition, resolution of the parent’s disease was positively associated with the offspring‘s well-being. Conclusion: Resolution of a parent’s PD is highly challenging for offspring with attachment anxiety. Therefore, targeting these individuals within the offspring of parents diagnosed with PD may assist them with coping during this challenging period. This may be especially impactful, as research shows that those offspring who resolve their parent’s PD also have higher well-being.