Correlates of Guilt among Adult Siblings of Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

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.