ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Parents of child neuropsychiatic patients may have many stresses due to their children's illness. Characteristics and severity of diseases will influence to the stresses of parents. The authors investigated various factors and parents' social support having an effect on the parenting stress. METHODS: Children and parents in outpatients interviewed and completed measures assessing children's problem behaviors, parenting stress, general social support, and support related to parenting by Child Behavior Checklist, Parenting Stress Index, Medical Outcomes Study's Social Support Scale, and Parenting Support Scale. RESULTS: We could not find the differences in the total scores of CBCL, Social Support Scale, and Parenting Stress Index among major diagnostic groups. In the same diagnosis, no difference of parenting stress was found according to general social support. Parenting stress highly correlated with severity of problem behaviors measured by CBCL. CONCLUSION: Severity of problem behaviors perceived by parents most predicted parenting stress. Parenting stress correlated with support to parenting, but not with general social support. Managing of children's problem behaviors is the most immediate and effective method to diminish the parental stress of child neuropsychiatric patients.