Date

9-17-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Adrian Rus

Keywords

Custodial Grandparents, Northern Appalachia, Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Qualitative

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Grandparents raising their grandchildren represent a growing demographic in North America. This qualitative transcendental phenomenological research study examined the shared lived experiences of custodial grandparents living in Northern Appalachia. This study was guided by Erikson’s seventh and eighth stages of psychosocial development and Resilience Theory. Fourteen custodial grandparents who reside within a Northern Appalachian county in Pennsylvania participated in semi-structured in-person interviews and data were analyzed using Moustakas' (1994) transcendental phenomenological method. Six themes emerged from the data: returning to parenthood later in life, accepting responsibility to protect grandchildren, changes in family roles and relationships, navigating challenges with limited support, restructuring daily life around later-life parenting, and discovering meaning, purpose, and resilience through raising grandchildren. The findings provide implications for healthcare professionals, counselors, educators, policymakers, and faith communities seeking to implement best practices when supporting custodial grandparent families. This study adds to the limited qualitative research on custodial grandparents in Northern Appalachia by providing an understanding of the essence of their shared lived experiences.

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