Correlates of Guilt among Adult Siblings of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
Shivers, Carolyn Marie
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2010-08-03
Abstract
This study examined guilt in adult siblings of individuals with developmental disabilities. Responses were taken from 1,150 adult siblings, age 18-85, who responded to the Adult Sibling Questionnaire, an online survey developed in collaboration with the National Sibling Consortium. Siblings who had more depressive symptoms, lower levels of well-being, and more expectations for future caregiving reported higher levels of guilt. Siblings also reported higher levels of guilt if their brother or sister had a higher percentage of unmet service needs.