The influence of ethnicity and culture on the caregiver stress and coping process: a sociocultural review and analysis

Abstract

The authors review the literature on ethnic minority caregivers and suggest that ethnicity and culture play a significant role in the stress and coping process for Latino caregivers. Caregivers of older Latinos face special challenges in the caregiving for individuals at higher risk for specific chronic diseases, who are disabled at earlier ages, and who have more functional disabilities. Ethnicity and culture can also influence the appraisal of stress events, the perception and use of family support, and coping behaviors. Socioeconomic class and minority group status are discussed as additional sources of variation in the caregiver stress and coping model.