Topic Avoidance as a Privacy Management Strategy: Outcomes and Predictors of Parent Well-being and Sibling Caregiving Topic Avoidance

ABSTRACT As the population ages, siblings more frequently assume the role of filial caregiver. Siblings often avoid communication about caregiving, and this topic avoidance can be detrimental to well-being. Framed in the communication privacy management theory (CPM), the current study tests the associations between privacy rule criteria and siblings’ caregiving topic avoidance and the impact of topic avoidance on relationship satisfaction and depression. A sample of 415 caregivers, including 242 primary caregivers and 173 secondary caregivers, completed an online survey regarding their caregiving communication with a sibling. Topic avoidance about both parent well-being and sibling caregiving were positively associated with privacy rule criteria of parent health, liking, and risk-benefit ratio and negatively associated with trust. Parent well-being topic avoidance was associated positively with primary caregivers’ depression and negatively with relationship satisfaction for both primary and secondary caregivers. Sibling caregiving topic avoidance was associated positively with depression and negatively with relationship satisfaction for both primary and secondary caregivers.