Stress and sense of the burden of the grandparents raising their grandchildren

Abstract

At present, there is a rapid social change in Thailand from an agricultural society to an industrial society. Parents migrated to work in other provinces to earn income for their families which causing the family system where parents and children live together tends to decline. The skipped generation family, family traits with grandparents and child living together without parental members, are likely to increase. This is because parents who go to work in another province cannot bring their children to care, and most of the trustees in the care of the child are grandparents. The main burden of taking care of children of different ages including affect the mental state of the elderly. Because they feel burdensome in various areas such as finance, daily routine, and health, etc. These can lead to depression. Relevant government departments should find solutions by spreading careers into rural areas so that parents can work in their own locality. The family will live together with parents and child. As for the elderly who care for their grandchildren, the health care team should go in to provide close assistance according to mental health.