Exploring the Relationship between Parentification and Coping Strategies among Elder Sibling Care-givers

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between parentification and coping strategies among elder siblings aged 18 to 30 who had taken on caregiving roles within their families. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, 120 participants (60 male, 60 female) completed the Parentification Questionnaire and the Brief COPE Inventory. Spearman’s rho and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the data due to non-normal distribution. Results revealed strong positive correlations between emotional parentification and emotion-focused coping, and between instrumental parentification and problem-focused coping. Emotional and instrumental parentification were also significantly related, suggesting that many participants experienced overlapping caregiving roles. Gender differences were significant across most variables, with female participants reporting higher levels of parentification and adaptive coping. These findings highlight the emotional complexity and resilience of sibling caregivers and underscore the need for supportive interventions that are both gender-sensitive and context-aware.