Abstract: Caregiving to dependent family members has both positive and negative effects on caregivers’ psychological well-being via separate paths and different factors. Early studies mostly focused on the negative outcomes of family caregiving at individual level. More recently, the positive aspect of caregiving and factors concerning cultural context and interpersonal relationship were more emphasized. This article introduces the advance in theoretical approaches in family caregiver research from the Stress Process Model to the Two-Factor Model, and summarizes studies on relevant factors that could affect caregivers at different levels in both positive and negative dimensions. Two trends are represented in family caregiver’s studies, a) more integrated and systematic theoretical perspectives, and b) the foci of studies on factors concerning interpersonal relations and the interaction between individuals and the cultural context. Problems and future orientation in the studies in China are also discussed

Key words: family caregiver, psychological well-being, stress process model, two-factor model