Mothers and Fathers of Adults With Mental Retardation: Feelings of Intergenerational Closeness*

On the basis of a sample of 96 married mothers and fathers, this study investigated older parents' feelings of closeness with a coresident son or daughter with mental retardation. Mothers felt closer to the adult child than fathers did. For mothers, feelings of closeness to the adult child were related to their level of education and the adult child's functional skills. For fathers, feelings of closeness were associated with their own personality characteristics, marital satisfaction, and the behavior problems and functional skills of the adult child. Implications for practice are discussed in relation to the unique experiences of these older parents.