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A study of stress faced by parents of children with cerebral palsy
Author
Leow, Stephenie Koon Miang
Supervisor
Quah, May Ling
Abstract
Stress is faced in varying degrees by all parents, and is very closely associated to parenting a child with special needs. Research has indicated that fathers and mothers perceive their experience of stress differently. Findings regarding the levels and sources of stress that mothers and fathers experience remain inconsistent. The pervasiveness of parental stress and the lack of research in this area in Singapore, especially in cerebral palsy have prompted this study. This study aims to find out if differences exist between the levels and sources of stress, namely, parental distress (PD), parent-child dysfunctional interaction (P-CDI), and difficult child (DC), between fathers and mothers of children with cerebral palsy in Singapore. The Parental Stress Index Short Form (PSI/SF) was selected, as it was a suitable instrument of measurement for the purposes of this study. The sample comprised 30 fathers and 32 mothers of children from the Spastic Children's Association School. In addition, a demographic inventory comprising items like the parent's age, educational level, ethnicity, religion, as well as the age of the child, the number of dependents, the monthly cost of upbringing the child, and care giving arrangements were included. Findings indicate that both fathers and mothers experienced significantly high levels of stress, but there were no significant differences in the levels of stress when both groups were compared. There were also no significant differences between the fathers and mothers in P-CDI and DC. Mothers however faced a significantly higher level of parental distress (PD). Analyses of the demographic factors revealed a negative correlation between the level of education of both fathers and mothers with their stress. The age of the child correlated positively with the mothers' stress levels in all the three stress measures while ethnicity correlated with the PD and P-CDI levels of fathers. The findings of this study were discussed in terms of their significance to both fathers and mothers. there is indication that many factors are at play in affecting parental stress. The most important implication from the knowledge gained would be its application to the provision of more relevant and effective support services for families of children with disabilities.
Date Issued
2001
Call Number
HQ759.913 Leo
Date Submitted
2001