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A study on Hope, Stress and Self-Efficacy in Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability
... hoc analysis between education group: primary education vs. secondary education, p = 0.579; primary education vs. higher education, p = 0.334; secondary education vs. higher education, p = 0the domains of PSE obtained significant results, namely gender in the emotional availability domain (male 17(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), female 16(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), p = 0.018). Comorbidities factors in children have a significant effect on the emotional availability domain (1 comorbidity 17(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), > 1 comorbidity 16(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), p = 0.019) and the routine domain (1 comorbidity 18.5 (17-20, > 1 comorbidity 18(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), p = 0.022). ...
... hoc analysis between education group: primary education vs. secondary education, p = 0.579; primary education vs. higher education, p = 0.334; secondary education vs. higher education, p = 0the domains of PSE obtained significant results, namely gender in the emotional availability domain (male 17(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), female 16(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), p = 0.018). Comorbidities factors in children have a significant effect on the emotional availability domain (1 comorbidity 17(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), > 1 comorbidity 16(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), p = 0.019) and the routine domain (1 comorbidity 18.5 (17-20, > 1 comorbidity 18(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), p = 0.022). ...
... hoc analysis between education group: primary education vs. secondary education, p = 0.579; primary education vs. higher education, p = 0.334; secondary education vs. higher education, p = 0the domains of PSE obtained significant results, namely gender in the emotional availability domain (male 17(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), female 16(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), p = 0.018). Comorbidities factors in children have a significant effect on the emotional availability domain (1 comorbidity 17(15)(16)(17)(18)(19), > 1 comorbidity 16(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20), p = 0.019) and the routine domain (1 comorbidity 18.5 (17-20, > 1 comorbidity 18(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), p = 0.022). The number of children in the family also has a significant effect on the teaching domain (one number of children in the family 21(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), two number of children in the family 20(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27), more than three number of children in the family 21(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28), p = 0.031). ...
Background: Parental self-efficacy (PSE) in parents of children with Down syndrome (DS) refers to parents’ efficacy in their capability as parents nurturing their children with DS. Therefore, this study aimed to determine factors that may influence PSE in parents of children with DS. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 87 parents of children with DS. Self-Efficacy Parenting Task Index (SEPTI) was administered to measure PSE levels. Spearman’s rank correlation and independent t-test were applied to determine factors that may influence PSE. These include gender, children’s age, duration of being diagnosed with DS, comorbidities, number of children in the family, parents’ age, educational level, monthly household income, place of residence, genetic counseling, and support group. Results: The results showed that the median scores of SEPTI were 114 (101-143), and 57.5% of parents had moderate PSE levels. Significant factors affecting PSE include children with comorbidities (r = - 0.197, p = 0.033) and the place of residence (r = -0.212, p = 0.024). Parents of children with fewer comorbidities (119 (109-128), p =0.034), those with higher education (118 (110-132), p = 0.031), and those living in urban areas (115 (101-143), p = 0.025) demonstrated higher PSE. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis showed children’s comorbidity as the most significant predictor in PSE (PR= 0.17, 95% CI = 0.03 - 0.77, p = 0.020). Conclusions: Children with comorbidities affect self-efficacy in parents of children with DS, besides the level of parent’s education and the place of living identity.
... The results showed no significant difference between the groups in terms of parental stress scores before the intervention, but there was a significant difference after the intervention. These results are consistent with the findings of Kore and Venkatraman [24], Hosseini-Ghomi and Jahanshahi [25], Lida et al. [26], Moghimi et al. [27], Mohammadi et al. [28], Aslani et al. [29], Motaghi et al. [30], Kaboudi et al. [18], and Hosseini-Ghomi et al. [19] studies. ...
... Kore and Venkatraman reported that parents of children with mental disabilities with a higher level of hope showed a lower score in perceived stress compared to parents with a lower level of hope [24]. In other words, the factors increasing hope in the parents of children with mental disabilities can simultaneously lower their stress levels. ...
Introduction
Welfare and rehabilitation centers prioritize the welfare of children over the mental and physical well-being of mothers. The present study aimed to determine the impact of resilience training on stress, hope, and psychological toughness of mothers living with mentally and physically disabled children.
Materials and methods
This intervention study was conducted in the Hamadan (Iran) Welfare and Rehabilitation Center in 2023. To this end, 70 parents of children with mental and physical disabilities were randomly selected and then randomly assigned to two control and intervention groups. In the intervention group, 9 resilience training sessions were conducted, each lasting 60 min. These meetings were held weekly at the welfare and rehabilitation center. The resilience training included three components: (1) exploring the concept of resilience within families and the attributes of individuals with high resilience, (2) examining internal and external factors that influence resilience, and (3) studying the strategies for enhancing family resilience. No intervention was performed in the control group. Data collection was done using parental stress, hope, and psychological toughness questionnaire. The mothers of both groups completed the above questionnaires both before and one month after the intervention. Data analysis was performed using chi-square (χ2), Kruskal-Wallis, and t-test with SPSS software (version 23) at a significance level of 0.05.
Results
Before the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in parental stress between the two groups (p = 0.370). However, after the intervention, the difference between the two groups became statistically significant (p = 0.001). Similarly, there was no significant difference in parents’ hope before the intervention (p = 0.452), but a significant difference was observed after the intervention (p = 0.001). Besides, parental psychological toughness was not significant before the intervention (p = 0.179) but became significant after the intervention (p = 0.000).
Conclusion
Based on the results, resilience training reduced parental stress and increased hope and resilience in mothers of the test group. Therefore, resilience training is recommended to lower parental stress and increase the hope and psychological toughness of mothers of mentally and physically disabled children.
... The results showed that there was no signi cant difference between the groups in terms of parental stress scores before the intervention, but there was a signi cant difference after the intervention. These results are consistent with the ndings of Kore and Venkatraman [24], Hosseini-Ghomi and Jahanshahi, [ Kore and Venkatraman in a related study reported that parents of children with mental disabilities with a higher level of hope showed a lower score in perceived stress compared to parents with a lower level of hope [24]. This means that the factors increasing hope in the parents of children with mental disabilities can simultaneously reduce the level of their stress. ...
... The results showed that there was no signi cant difference between the groups in terms of parental stress scores before the intervention, but there was a signi cant difference after the intervention. These results are consistent with the ndings of Kore and Venkatraman [24], Hosseini-Ghomi and Jahanshahi, [ Kore and Venkatraman in a related study reported that parents of children with mental disabilities with a higher level of hope showed a lower score in perceived stress compared to parents with a lower level of hope [24]. This means that the factors increasing hope in the parents of children with mental disabilities can simultaneously reduce the level of their stress. ...
Introduction
The present study aimed at determining the impact of resilience training on stress, hope and psychological toughness of mothers with mentally and physically disabled children.
Materials and methods
In this interventional study, 70 parents of children with mental and physical disabilities were selected in an accessible manner and then classified into two control and intervention groups by random block allocation. In the intervention group, nine endurance training sessions were held for 60 min, one session per week at the welfare and rehabilitation center for mothers. Immediately before and one month after the intervention, the parenting stress, hope and psychological toughness questionnaire was completed by the mothers. The data were analyzed using Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, Fisher's exact test and t-test by SPSS software (version 23) at a significance level of 0.05.
Results
There was no significant difference in the parental stress between before and after the intervention in the both intervention and control groups (0.370), but it was significant after the intervention (0.001). Moreover, no significant difference was observed in parental hope before the intervention (0.452), while it was significant after the intervention (0.001). Parental psychological toughness was not significant before the intervention (0.179), while it was significant after the intervention (0.000).
Conclusion
Based on the results, resilience training reduced parental stress and increased hope and tenacity in mothers of the test group. Therefore, resilience training is recommended to reduce parental stress and increased hope and psychological toughness of mothers of mentally and physically disabled children.
... Parenting selfefficacy merupakan persepsi individu terhadap kemampuannya menjalankan peran pengasuhan (Coleman & Karraker, 2004;Kabiyea & Manor-Binyamini, 2019). Proses evaluasi terhadap kemampuan diri melibatkan proses berpikir, sehingga efikasi diri menjadi dasar kognitif kemampuan adaptasi orang tua dalam menjalankan fungsi pengasuhan (Meyer & Wissemann, 2020); yang pada akhirnya parenting self-efficacy menjadi dasar efektivitas praktik pengasuhan (Kore & Venkatraman, 2017). ...
Parenting self-efficacy ibu, tantangan dan peran lingkungan, disabilitas This article focuses on the dynamic process of acceptance and motivation as well as essential factors in a mother’s parentingself-efficacy. Six participants are mothers of children (above 6 years old) with either one of the three types of ability: intellectual, sensory, or mental disability. The data are gathered through semi-structured interviews. The result of this study shows that the experienceof being reared by parents becomes a representative experience that adds to mothers’ knowledge and expertise in mothers’ reared task, in that mother’ rearing duty, shows motivation to increase the competency in fostering children with disability in many ways, among others are reading from mass media, consulting with a therapist, and communicating intensively with the teacher. Affiliate stigma experienced by mothers, evokes mothers to be more selective in choosing a social environment that supports the development of children with disability. Spirituality and social support become factors that play a role in mothers’ parenting-self efficacy. Artikel ini membahas dinamika proses penerimaan dan motivasi sebagai faktor yang berperan dalam parenting self-efficacy ibu. Enam responden yang terlibat dalam penelitian ini merupakan ibu dari anak dengan disabilitas (berusia di atas enam tahun) yang memiliki salah satu jenis dari tiga jenis disabilitas yakni intelektual, sensorik, dan mental. Teknik wawancara semi terstruktur digunakan sebagai teknik pengumpulan data. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pengalaman diasuh oleh orang tua menjadi pengalaman perwakilan yang menambah pengetahuan dan kemampuan ibu dalam tugas pengasuhan. Ibu menunjukkan motivasi untuk meningkatkan kompetensi dalam mengasuh anak dengan disabilitas melalui berbagai cara, antara lain membaca informasi dari media massa, berkonsultasi dengan terapis, dan berkomunikasi secara intensif dengan guru. Affiliate stigma yang dialami ibu menggugah ibu untuk lebih selektif dalam menentukan lingkungan sosial yang mendukung perkembangan anak disabilitas. Spiritualitas dan dukungan sosial menjadi faktor yang berperan dalam parenting self-efficacy ibu.
... The results showed that the direction of the negative relationship between parenting stress and parenting self-efficacy would show that the higher the parenting self-efficacy, the lower the stress level (Kabiyea & Manor-Binyamini, 2019;Hong & Liu, 2021). Parental selfefficacy is one aspect which plays a very important role in parental commitment in the practices of parenting (Kore & Venkatraman, 2017). According to Bandura, parenting self-efficacy defined as an individual's perception of his ability to successfully carry out his/her parenting role (Wittkowski et al., 2017;Albanese et al., 2019). ...
The biographical film, Zero to Hero, shows the true story of Hong Kong sprinter So Wa Wai who won the 1996-2008 Paralympic Olympics. This study aims to identify signs to build meaning based on speech (words), images, images and sounds, words and gestures/body language, images and gestures/body language, images and objects, and words and objects. Identification of the mother's role in controlling the balance of the dimensions of cohesion, and flexibility through the application of effective communication with family members and the community is illustrated in this study. Dimensions of cohesion and flexibility that is based on Olson's Circumplex model describing family functions. Parenting interactions through the communication dimension of the mother figure play an important role in the Circumplex model. The analytical method used is Umberto Eco's semiotics which relies on the constructivism paradigm. The results showed that the Zero to Hero film contains three meaningful signs based on Olson's Circumplex model, namely signs in the form of speech, speech and body language, and speech and objects.
... Rentang stres diantara orang tua anak ID berbeda satu dengan lainnya. Beberapa orang tua menunjukkan toleransi yang lebih baik terhadap stressor daripada yang lain, ini mungkin karena faktor-faktor tertentu seperti adanya harapan, efikasi diri, dukungan sosial, rasa koherensi, harga diri, resiliensi, optimisme, dan internal locus of control (Kore & Venkatraman, 2017). ...
The presence of children will affect the lives of their parents. Parenting and educating Intellectual Disability (ID) children creates certain pressures, especially for mothers. Many mothers experienced stress and have feelings of uncertainty about their ability to care for which lead to pessimism. These stress and anxiety may have an impact on the psychological well-being of the mothers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether parenting self-efficacy and optimism affect the psychological well-being of mothers with ID children. This study used a quantitative approach with a causal correlational design. The research subjects were 43 mothers who had children with ID. The data was collected using a questionnaire consists of the Self-Efficacy for Parenting Index (SEPTI) adapted from Coleman and Karakker, optimism scale, and psychological well-being Scales (PWBS) adapted from Ryff. The results show that parenting self-efficacy and optimism had an effect on psychological well-being
Studies have shown an association between parental distress and caretaking of children with developmental cognitive delays. There is little data in developing countries, such as Pakistan, concerning the impact of raising children with intellectual disability upon the quality of parent functioning and risk for psychopathology.
To assess the level of psychopathology i.e. anxiety, depression and both anxiety and depression together among parents of children with intellectual disability (ID).
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. The study was approved by the Institutional Research Committee. Participants were 198 parents (99 fathers/99 mothers) of 100 children with the diagnosis of ID. Informed consents were obtained. The parents were assessed for anxiety and depression using DSM IV criteria.
Significantly high proportion of mothers (89%) had anxiety, depression, or both anxiety and depression together as compared to fathers (77%) (p-value <0.05). Among mothers, 35% met criteria for anxiety, 40% for depression and 13% for both anxiety and depression. Among fathers 42% had anxiety, 31% depression and 3% both anxiety and depression. There was a significant association between gender of parent and individual psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression and anxiety and depression together (p-value <0.05). A significant association was also found between mother's anxiety, depression or both and degree of ID of their children (p-value <0.05).
1) Significantly high proportion of parents of children with ID has psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression or both; 2) the psychiatric diagnosis of anxiety, depression and anxiety and depression together is associated with gender of parent; and, 3) the diagnosis of anxiety, depression or both in mothers was associated with severity of ID in their children.
Background Previous research with mothers of children with intellectual disabilities has shown that psychological acceptance is related to maternal psychological well-being. The present research extended this line of enquiry to fathers and explored the potential for psychological acceptance to mediate the impact of children’s behaviour problems on paternal well-being.
Method Ninety-nine fathers of 67 boys and 32 girls with intellectual disability, between 6 and 18 years of age, participated in a questionnaire study. Psychological acceptance of difficult/negative emotions and thoughts associated with interactions with the child with intellectual disability were measured alongside ratings of the child’s behaviour problems and paternal negative (stress, anxiety, depression) and positive (‘positive gain’) well-being.
Results Psychological acceptance was found to partially mediate the impact of child behaviour problems on paternal stress, anxiety, and depression. Acceptance was also a positive predictor of fathers’ perceptions of positive gain associated with raising their child with intellectual disability. However, it could not function as a potential mediator of positive gain in the present research because fathers’ ratings of their child’s behaviour problems were not associated with paternal positive gain.
Conclusions Implications for practice include the potential of acceptance-based interventions, and other psychological interventions targeting acceptance and avoidance processes (e.g. mindfulness-based approaches), to positively affect paternal psychological adjustment.
Researchers have suggested that general self-efficacy (GSE) can substantially contribute to organizational theory, research, and practice. Unfortunately, the limited construct validity work conducted on commonly used GSE measures has highlighted such potential problems as low content validity and multidimensionality. The authors developed a new GSE (NGSE) scale and compared its psychometric properties and validity to that of the Sherer et al. General Self-Efficacy Scale (SGSE). Studies in two countries found that the NGSE scale has higher construct validity than the SGSE scale. Although shorter than the SGSE scale, the NGSE scale demonstrated high reliability, predicted specific self-efficacy (SSE) for a variety of tasks in various contexts, and moderated the influence of previous performance on subsequent SSE formation. Implications, limitations, and directions for future organizational research are discussed.
The focus of this study was to explore and understand the experiences of hope in families of children with disabilities. Based on a qualitative research design, nineteen parents participated in this study. Eight common themes have been identified within participants' descriptions during the process of data analysis. Hope has been identified as a positive transformation and dynamic process that helped parents to reframe their lives in view of their experience with children with disabilities. The way families deal with the experience of childhood disability has been the focus of diverse studies in the past two decades (Barnett & Boyce, 1995; Donovan, 1988; Gallagher & Vietze, 1986). Although stress and despair are frequently reported as a problem for families having children with disabilities (Cameron, Dobson & Day, 1991; Dyson, 1993; Harris & McHale, 1989; Krauss, 1993), more recent researchers, along with many families themselves, have rejected these negative notions (Helff & Glidden, 1998; Sobsey, 1995; Stainton & Besser, 1998). Although many parents have reported positive changes, little research has been carried out to understand this positive adjustment to parenting a child with a disability or to determine how it can be promoted.
On the basis of characteristics of family resilience, the study examined the perspectives of parents of children with an intellectual, physical, or learning disability. Thirty-two parents were interviewed as to past, present, and the modes of coping. The questions examined various aspects of family ecology domains: parents' responses to the child's diagnosis; patterns of adjustment; family support and services used by parents; and parents' feelings and future expectations. Although, it was found that most parents had to make changes in their social life and expressed high levels of frustration and dissatisfaction, many try to maintain their routine life. The majority expressed the need for a strong belief in the child and in the child's future, an optimistic outlook, and a realistic view and acceptance of the disability. The study highlighted the importance of social resources and support, and the need for effective programs of intervention.
There has been limited research conducted on the quality of life (QoL) of children with intellectual disabilities (IDs). We investigated the QoL in children aged 5-18 years with ID and compared the results with healthy children of the same age in this study. The results indicated that the scores of students with ID were lower on all scales and also that children with ID should be supported in all QoL dimensions (physical, social, emotional, and school functioning). Associations between QoL and factors such as the educational level of the mothers, income level of the family, age at diagnosis, age group, and level of ID were examined in the ID group. A diagnosis of ID before the age of 2 was found to have a statistically significant positive effect on QoL scores. Our findings highlight that early diagnosis is the most important measure to improve the QoL of people with ID.
This study examined the relationship between maternal mental health problems and both caregiving time and experience of time pressure for 216 mothers of children with autism. Data describing caregiving time was obtained using 24-h time-diaries. Standard questionnaires were used to assess time pressure, social support, children's emotional and behavioural problems, and maternal mental health problems. After adjusting for the effect of children's age, maternal social support, and children's behaviour problems, time pressure but not hours of caregiving, had a significant positive relationship with maternal mental health problems. Findings suggest that the quality of home-based care for children with autism may be adversely affected if time pressure experienced by caregivers compromises their mental health and well being.
Parenting stresses have consistently been found to be higher in parents of children with intellectual disabilities (ID); yet, some families are able to be resilient and thrive in the face of these challenges. Despite the considerable research on stress in families of ID, there is still little known about the stability and compensatory factors associated with everyday parenting stresses.
Trajectories of daily parenting stress were studied for both mothers and fathers of children with ID across child ages 36-60 months, as were specific familial risk and resilience factors that affect these trajectories, including psychological well-being of each parent, marital adjustment and positive parent-child relationships.
Mothers' daily parenting stress significantly increased over time, while fathers' daily parenting stress remained more constant. Decreases in mothers' daily parenting stress trajectory were associated with both mother and father's well-being and perceived marital adjustment, as well as a positive father-child relationship. However, decreases in fathers' daily parenting stress trajectory were only affected by mother's well-being and both parents' perceived marital adjustment.
Parenting stress processes are not shared entirely across the preschool period in parents of children with ID. Although individual parent characteristics and high-quality dyadic relationships contribute to emerging resilience in parents of children with ID, parents also affect each others' more resilient adaptations in ways that have not been previously considered.
I examined correlates of Negative Affect (NA) and Positive Affect (PA) through both within- and between-subjects analyses. Eighty subjects completed a daily questionnaire for 6-8 weeks. Each day they rated (a) their mood, (b) the extent to which they suffered from various minor physical problems, (c) their level of stress, (d) the time they spent socializing, and (e) whether or not they had exercised. Subjects also completed several trait tests measuring their general affective level, frequency of health problems, and social tendencies. A between-subjects analysis showed the expected pattern: Level of physical complaints and perceived stress were correlated with individual differences in NA but not in PA, whereas social indicators and frequency of exercise were related only to PA. The within-subjects results generally exhibited a similar pattern: Social activity and exercise were more strongly related to PA, whereas perceived stress was highly related to NA. However, the most significant finding was that, contrary to prediction, health complaints were as strongly related to intraindividual fluctuations in PA as in NA. Possible interpretations of the observed correlates of NA and PA are discussed.
Children and adolescents with mental retardation are at heightened risk for mental disorder. We examined early evidence of behavior problems in 225 three-year-old children with or without developmental delays and the relative impact of cognitive delays and problem behaviors on their parents. Staff-completed Bayley Behavior Scales and parent-completed Child Behavior Checklists (CBCLs) showed greater problems in children with delays than in those without delays. Children with delays were 3 to 4 times as likely to have a total CBCL score within the clinical range. Parenting stress was higher in delayed condition families. Regression analyses revealed that the extent of child behavior problems was a much stronger contributor to parenting stress than was the child's cognitive delay.
This study was designed to identify predictors of parental stress and psychological distress among parents of children with mental retardation in the United Arab Emirates. It examined the relative contributions of child characteristics, parents' sociodemographics, and family environment to parental stress and psychological distress. Participants were parents of 225 mentally retarded children, of whom 113 were fathers and 112 were mothers. Measures of parental stress (QRS-F), psychiatric symptom index (PSI) and family environment scale (FES) were administered in an interview format. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to predict parental stress and psychological distress. The results indicate that the model containing all three predictor blocks, child characteristics, parents' sociodemographics, and family environment, accounted for 36.3% and 22.5% of parental stress and parents' psychiatric symptomatology variance, respectively. The age of the child was significantly associated with parents' feelings of distress and psychiatric symptom status, and parental stress was less when the child was older. Parents reported more psychiatric symptomatology when the child showed a high level of dysfunction. Fathers' work appeared to be a significant predictor of parental stress, indicating that for fathers who were not working the level of stress was higher than fathers who were working. Lower socioeconomic level was associated with greater symptom rates of cognitive disturbance, depression, anxiety, and despair among parents. Among the family environment variables, only the personal growth dimension stood out as a predictor of parental stress. An orientation toward recreational and religious pursuits, high independence, and intellectual and recreational orientations were associated with lower levels of parental stress. On the other hand, parents in achievement-oriented families showed elevated levels of parental stress. Implications for prevention, and intervention as well as parent training and system-oriented counseling programs are discussed.
Feelings of competency in the parental role, termed parenting self-efficacy, have been associated with well-being and positive parenting outcomes. Given the unique stresses inherent in raising a child with autism, parents may find it challenging to maintain a positive sense of well-being and self-efficacy. Study aims were to investigate associations between maternal self-efficacy and parenting cognitions among mothers of children with autism. Mothers (n = 170) completed questionnaires on paper or via the Internet. In a hierarchical linear regression, depression, parenting stress, agency, and guilt each accounted for unique variance in maternal self-efficacy when controlling for time since diagnosis and the presence of a second child with a disability. Autism knowledge was not associated with parenting self-efficacy. Self-efficacy appears to be associated with well-being, agency, and feelings of guilt among mothers of children with autism. Parent- and family-based interventions designed to support parental well-being and focusing on parenting cognitions may enhance parenting self-efficacy.
Epidemiological studies have consistently reported a significant association between poverty and the prevalence of intellectual disabilities. The available evidence suggests that this association reflects two distinct processes. First, poverty causes intellectual disabilities, an effect mediated through the association between poverty and exposure to a range of environmental and psychosocial hazards. Second, families supporting a child with intellectual disabilities and adults with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing poverty due to the financial and social impact of caring and the exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities from the workforce. It is likely that the association between poverty and intellectual disabilities accounts in part for the health and social inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Implications for policy and practice are discussed in relation to the funding of services for people with intellectual disabilities and preventative approaches to addressing the health and social inequalities experienced by people with intellectual disabilities and their families.
After briefly reviewing the historical views about hope, a hope model based on three components - goal, pathways, and agency thoughts - is presented. Accompanying measures of hope for adults and children are described, and the positive correlates of higher hope are reviewed. Future applications of hope theory are presented, including such topics as psychotherapy, trauma, pain tolerance, adherence to taking medications, health psychology, gender, suicide, developmental antecedents, aging issues, and work.
The present study examines stress among parents of children with intellectual disability. 102 parents formed the sample of this study, 30 of whom had children without disability. A stress assessment test with internal validity of 0.608 was utilised. This test has two parts: physical and mental, former with 19 items and latter with 21 items. T test was applied to check differences in stress, gender differences, and differences in mental and physical stress. Results show that, most parents of children with intellectual disability experience stress, physical and mental stress are significantly correlated, gender differences in stress experienced occur only in the mental area, and parents have higher mental stress score as compared to physical stress.
Community services and supports for children with intellectual disabilities (ID) can ameliorate the negative effects of caregiving and enhance child outcomes. For example, in Central and South America, many children with disabilities are institutionalized with inadequate sanitation and medical care. In the United States, certain demographic factors (e.g., poverty, limited access to healthcare, language barriers, and immigrant status) contribute to the underdiagnosis and poor‐quality treatment of Latino families and their children with ID, thus limiting their access to effective community and family supports. This paper utilizes a cultural lens to target advocacy as a mechanism for improving access to local community services and social supports for children with ID. The author examines specific cultural beliefs regarding family support and child development among Latino families, and provides policy recommendations derived from these cultural beliefs that aim to enhance advocacy efforts among Latino caregivers. The author notes that effective advocacy, at the family and at the policy level, can be a useful tool to access crucial community and social supports that enhance child and family outcomes.
The experience of poverty has a pervasive impact on the health (including mental health) of children and their parent(s), on family functioning and on the life course of children. The aim of this paper is to consider the relevance of poverty to our understanding of the health (and mental health) of children with intellectual disabilities in the world's richer countries. It is suggested that poverty is of considerable relevance to this area as: (1) young people with intellectual disabilities are at greater risk than their non‐disabled peers of experiencing poverty; (2) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor parental health and well‐being and consequently poorer parenting practices; and (3) the experience of poverty is likely to be associated with poor child health and well‐being. Implications for future research, policy and practice are discussed.
The present paper focuses on the integration of two research foci in the field of developmental disability: models of the development and maintenance of children's problem behaviours, and parental stress associated with child characteristics. I propose a simple model whereby children's behaviour problems, parental stress, and parenting behaviour are related. Evidence is found for a central part of this model (that child behaviour problems lead to parental stress), but other aspects are as yet untested in the developmental disability field. Future refinement of the model is discussed, with an emphasis on the role of parental appraisal processes in understanding the mechanisms by which child behaviour problems affect parental well being. Finally, the practical implications of integrating research on children's behaviour problems and parental stress are briefly considered.
Cultural and religious beliefs influence perceptions about health and illness. Data, from India, on perceptions about intellectual disability are scant. This study explored people's cultural beliefs and attitudes about intellectual disability, perceived needs and burden associated with care in Vellore, south India.
A qualitative methodology using focus groups was employed. Eight focus groups were conducted in three settings and included the mothers of children and adolescents with intellectual disability (four groups, n = 29), community health workers (two groups, n = 17) and schoolteachers (two groups, n = 16).
Our results suggest that cultural and religious beliefs perpetuated negative attitudes towards disability. This meant that caregivers bore a high burden of care with little support from family or society. The study confirmed the presence of diverse, multiple and contradictory models of disability drawing from biomedical and local religious, social and cultural constructs.
Public awareness, education and community-level interventions for reducing the misconceptions and stigma related to intellectual disability are needed in addition to culturally sensitive treatment methods to improve the attitude towards and management of intellectual disability.
Positive psychology is an area gaining credence within the field of intellectual disability (ID). Hope is one facet of positive psychology that is relatively unstudied in parents of children with ID. In the present study, we explore hope and its relationships with parental well-being in parents of school-aged children with ID.
A total of 138 mothers and 58 fathers of children with ID took part in a questionnaire-based study. Parents reported on their feelings of hope and positive affect, other dimensions of psychological well-being (anxiety, depression and stress), and on their child's behaviour. For this study, hope was measured as a goal driven behaviour comprising two components: agency (the perception that one can reach his/her goals) and pathways (the perception that one can find alternative routes to reach these goals should the need arise).
For mothers, regression analyses revealed that lower levels of hope (agency and pathways) and more child behaviour problems predicted maternal depression. Positive affect was predicted by less problematic child behaviour and by higher levels of hope agency. For fathers, anxiety and depression were predicted by low hope agency and positive affect was predicted by high hope agency. Hope pathways was not a significant predictor of paternal well-being. Hope agency and pathways interacted in the prediction of maternal depression such that mothers reporting high levels of both hope dimensions reported the lowest levels of depressive symptoms.
Hope is a construct that merits further investigation within families research, and is potentially a factor that could be utilised in intervention to help increase familial well-being.
The present study investigates the occurrence of daytime behaviour problems and maternal stress in a group of children with Down's syndrome (DS) compared with a group of their non-intellectually disabled siblings, a group of non-intellectually disabled children from the general population and a group of children with an intellectual disability other than Down's syndrome. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and the Malaise Inventory were completed by the mothers. Associations between daytime behaviour problems and maternal stress were also explored. Overall, the children with DS and the children with other intellectual disabilities showed significantly higher rates of behavioural disturbance on all five of the ABC subscales (Irritability, Lethargy, Stereotypies, Hyperactivity and Inappropriate Speech) and on the Total ABC score. However, the children with other intellectual disabilities also showed significantly higher scores than the children with DS on four of the ABC subscales: Irritability, Lethargy, Stereotypies and Hyperactivity, as well as the Total ABC score. The siblings and children from the general population showed very similar behaviour scores. A number of significant age and sex differences were found in the occurrence of daytime behaviour problems. Maternal stress was significantly higher in the group with other forms of intellectual disability than the other three groups, and a number of significant associations were found between parental ratings of daytime behaviour problems and maternal stress in all four samples. The implications of the findings are discussed, including the need for early assessment to minimize adverse effects on the child's development and on family life.
Parental depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in 216 families with children with autism and/or intellectual disability (ID), and in 214 control families. Mothers with children with autism had higher depression scores (mean = 11.8) than mothers of children with ID without autism (mean = 9.2), who in turn, had higher depression scores than fathers of children with autism (mean = 6.2), fathers of children with ID without autism (mean = 5.0), and control mothers (mean = 5.0) and fathers (mean = 4.1). Forty-five per cent of mothers with children with ID without autism and 50% of mothers with children with autism had elevated depression scores (BDI > 9), compared to 15-21% in the other groups. Single mothers of children with disabilities were found to be more vulnerable to severe depression than mothers living with a partner.
Self-efficacy has been identified in the general parenting literature as an important variable affecting parent outcomes. In the present study, 26 mothers and 20 fathers of children with autism reported on their self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Teachers rated the behavior problems of the children. Regression analyses showed that self-efficacy mediated the effect of child behavior problems on mothers' anxiety and depression, but there was no evidence that it functioned as a mediator for fathers. However, there was evidence that self-efficacy moderated the effect of child behavior problems on fathers' anxiety. No evidence for the moderating effect of self-efficacy was apparent for mothers. Methodological issues and the theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
Signposts is a flexible intervention system for families of children who have intellectual disability and challenging behaviour. The Signposts materials include eight information booklets, a workbook and videotape for parents, and a series of instructional manuals for therapists. The system was designed so that it can be delivered in several different ways, i.e. group support, telephone support and self-directed modes.
The present study was an evaluation of these three modes of delivery and involved 115 families.
Following the use of the Signposts materials in parent training programmes, the subjects reported that they were less stressed, felt more efficacious about managing their children's behaviour, were less hassled about meeting their own needs and that their children's behaviour had improved. Additionally, families generally reported high levels of satisfaction with the content and delivery of the materials.
Finally, there were minimal differences among the three modes of delivery on the measures used, although families who used the self-directed mode were less likely to complete the materials. Implications of these results for service delivery are discussed.
Parents of children with intellectual disabilities are at increased risk for stress and other mental health problems. The purpose of the present review is to consider the evidence base for psychological intervention to remediate stress in these parents.
A selective review of interventions designed to reduce stress in parents of children with intellectual disabilities, with a focus on group interventions that incorporate various cognitive behavioural techniques.
Research evidence suggests that standard service models (e.g., respite care, case management) probably help to reduce parental stress. The strongest evidence base is for cognitive behavioural group interventions, especially for the reduction of stress in mothers. Some data also indicate the potential value of parent-led support networks.
More research and clinical development are needed to establish a firmer evidence base for stress interventions with parents of children with intellectual disabilities. There are also a number of potential practical implications of reducing parental stress for maximising the efficacy of general parent training interventions and also behavioural programmes for children's challenging behaviours.
A place in the family: An historical interpretation of research on parental reactions to having a child with a disability
- P M Ferguson
Ferguson PM. A place in the family: An historical interpretation of research on parental reactions to having a
child with a disability. J Special Educn 2002;36(3):124-31.
Perceived stress scale. Measuring stress: A guide for health and social scientists
- S Cohen
- T Kamarck
- R Mermelstein
Cohen S, Kamarck T, Mermelstein R. Perceived stress scale. Measuring stress: A guide for health and social
scientists. 1994.