Patterns of Intergenerational Exchange and Mental Health

Past research on intergenerational exchanges suggests that parents and adult children remain vitally involved in supportive exchanges in later life. What has not been examined is the long-term importance of patterns of intergenerational exchange for individual mental health and well-being. Using data drawn from the two waves of the National Survey of Families and Households on adults aged 50 and older (N = 2237, MAge = 62.3), we tested hypotheses derived from three theoretical explanations of the relationship between exchange patterns and psychological well-being. We found strong evidence for the importance of contingent exchanges between parents and adult children in promoting older adults' psychological well-being. Whereas receiving contingent exchange has positive consequences, noncontingent giving can have negative consequences around specific transitions in the lives of parents and children.