Editorial

In most Western countries and especially in Japan a continuing increase in life expectancy on the one hand and a steady decrease in fertility on the other hand have lead to significant demographic changes affecting the sustainability of public expenditures as well as the distribution of social resources. Moreover, living longer does not necessarily imply a life without health problems. Recent estimations of disease prevalence – particularly for the so-called Fourth Age – show that there will be an increase of chronic, most notably neurodegenerative, diseases. Many European countries have reacted to these developments by establishing special long-term care insurances and by elaborating help and support networks for elderly persons. Care of sick and dependent persons within the family context has a tradition in most countries and is even linked to (more or less) explicit social and moral norms. Because of the demographic and social changes described above, family care has gained increasing attention in sociological and psychological research, especially with respect to the concept of intergenerational solidarity as well as the notion of ambivalence. This issue is dedicated to family carers. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)