Predictors of care-giver stress in families of preschool-aged children with developmental disabilities

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research 2007-02, Vol.51 (2), p.109-124
• Main Authors: Plant, K. M., Sanders, M. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; care-giving; Caregiver Attitudes; Caregivers; Caregivers - psychology; Caregivers - statistics & numerical data; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - epidemiology; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Demography; Developmental Disabilities; Developmental Disabilities - epidemiology; developmental disability; Disability; Family Environment; Family environment. Family history; Female; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mothers; Parent Responsibility; parent stress; Parents; Predictor Variables; Preschool Children; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity of Illness Index; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Social Support; Social Support Groups; Stress; Stress Variables; Stress, Psychological - diagnosis; Stress, Psychological - epidemiology; Stress, Psychological - psychology
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2006.00829.x

Background  This study examined the predictors, mediators and moderators of parent stress in families of preschool‐aged children with developmental disability. Method  One hundred and five mothers of preschool‐aged children with developmental disability completed assessment measures addressing the key variables. Results  Analyses demonstrated that the difficulty parents experienced in completing specific care‐ giving tasks, behaviour problems during these care‐giving tasks, and level of child disability, respectively, were significant predictors of level of parent stress. In addition, parents’ cognitive appraisal of care‐giving responsibilities had a mediating effect on the relationship between the child’s level of disability and parent stress. Mothers’ level of social support had a moderating effect on the relationship between key independent variables and level of parent stress. Conclusions  Difficulty of care‐giving tasks, difficult child behaviour during care‐giving tasks, and level of child disability are the primary factors which contribute to parent stress. Implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are outlined.