Background and Aim:
With increasing migration and changing family patterns, many adult children are living away from their aging parents. This separation often brings emotional unease and anticipatory worry about parents' health and well-being, referred to as filial anxiety, especially in a country such as India, where family bonds play a significant role in defining obligations and caretaking. The present systematic review aims to synthesize existing literature on filial anxiety among adult children, focusing on its conceptual understanding, contributing factors, and psychosocial implications in the context of contemporary caregiving.
Method:
Following PRISMA guidelines, relevant studies were identified through searches in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar using keywords such as filial anxiety, filial obligation, attachment, and distance caregiving. Inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2025 that assessed psychological or relational determinants of filial anxiety. Twenty-six studies met the criteria and were subjected to quality appraisal and thematic synthesis.
Results:
The findings indicate that filial anxiety is a multifaceted construct shaped by both individual and contextual factors. Emerging research highlights how physical distance, changing family roles, and evolving cultural expectations influence the emotional experiences of adult children.
Conclusion:
The review underscores the growing relevance of filial anxiety in an era of mobility and aging populations. It calls for further empirical work and culturally sensitive interventions to address the emotional challenges faced by adult children caring for or worrying about elderly parents from afar.