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A study on parental illness representation of intellectual disability and parental emotional distress and coping
Other titles
Parental illness representation of intellectual disability and parental emotional distress and coping
Author
Vimallan Manokara
Supervisor
Lee, Boon Ooi
Abstract
Aims: While there have been studies exploring the relationships between parental illness representations of their child’s illness, parental emotional distress and parental coping, there has been no such research on parents of children with Intellectual Disability (ID). Doing so has implications regarding the treatment of parental emotional distress and support for children with ID. The present study explores relationships between parental illness representations of their child’s ID, parental emotional distress and parental coping.
Method: 91 parents of adults with moderate ID participated in the study. Parental illness representations were measured using the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised (IPQ-R), parental coping was measured using the Brief COPE scale and parental emotional distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale- 21 item (DASS 21). Factor analyses was done for the Brief COPE scale and internal consistencies for the subscales in the IPQ-R and Brief COPE were established. Correlational analysis was conducted for all research variables followed by regression and mediation analyses.
Results: For the negative illness representations, identity was negatively correlated with emotional distress, r=-.23, p<.05, timeline (cyclical) was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.29, p<.01 and consequences was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.336, p<.01. For maladaptive coping methods, behavioural disengagement was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.27, p<.01. Similarly, self-blame and substance abuse was also positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.51, p<.01. Moreover, negative illness representations like consequences and timeline (cyclical) uniquely predicted parental emotional distress over and above self-blame and substance abuse, △R2 =.085, △F=5.88 (2, 86), p<.05.Lastly, self-blame and substance abuse’ mediated the relationship between ‘illness coherence’ and ‘emotional distress’ (Sobel test statistic = 2.71, p<.01) as well as the relationship between ‘consequences’ and ‘emotional distress’ (Sobel test statistic = 2.004, p<.05).
Conclusion: The study has identified that certain parental coping methods and illness representations that parents have of their child’s ID are contributing factors to parental emotional distress.
Method: 91 parents of adults with moderate ID participated in the study. Parental illness representations were measured using the Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised (IPQ-R), parental coping was measured using the Brief COPE scale and parental emotional distress was measured using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale- 21 item (DASS 21). Factor analyses was done for the Brief COPE scale and internal consistencies for the subscales in the IPQ-R and Brief COPE were established. Correlational analysis was conducted for all research variables followed by regression and mediation analyses.
Results: For the negative illness representations, identity was negatively correlated with emotional distress, r=-.23, p<.05, timeline (cyclical) was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.29, p<.01 and consequences was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.336, p<.01. For maladaptive coping methods, behavioural disengagement was positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.27, p<.01. Similarly, self-blame and substance abuse was also positively correlated with emotional distress, r=.51, p<.01. Moreover, negative illness representations like consequences and timeline (cyclical) uniquely predicted parental emotional distress over and above self-blame and substance abuse, △R2 =.085, △F=5.88 (2, 86), p<.05.Lastly, self-blame and substance abuse’ mediated the relationship between ‘illness coherence’ and ‘emotional distress’ (Sobel test statistic = 2.71, p<.01) as well as the relationship between ‘consequences’ and ‘emotional distress’ (Sobel test statistic = 2.004, p<.05).
Conclusion: The study has identified that certain parental coping methods and illness representations that parents have of their child’s ID are contributing factors to parental emotional distress.
Date Issued
2017
Call Number
BF575.A6 Vim
Date Submitted
2017