ABSTRACT
Background: vision impairment in children is one of the most severe disabilities that cause stress in parents. Therefore, it seems necessary to establish and conduct interventions for controlling parenting stress and preventing its negative consequences. This study aimed to investigate the effect of life skills training [LST] program on parenting stress of mothers with blind children aged 7 to 12 years
Methods: this study was a non-blinded randomized controlled trial. 52 mothers with blind children studying at Shoorideh Shirazi educational complex, Shiraz, Iran in 2013 were enrolled, using census sampling method. Balanced block randomization method was used to allocate the participants to groups. The intervention group participated in an LST program consisting of 5 two-hour sessions per week for 5 consecutive weeks but the control group didn't. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Parenting Stress Index; they were completed three times by the participants of both groups before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. Collected data were analyzed using Chi-square, independent t-test and repeated measures analysis of variances [ANOVA]
Results: the LST program could decrease parenting stress in the intervention group mothers [P<0/001]. This statistically significant reduction in the mean scores of parenting stress was observed in both children and parents
Conclusion: LST program could reduce parenting stress in mothers with blind children. Therefore, it can be used as an efficient, cost-effective and simple technique for managing parenting stress in such parents
ABSTRACT
Family caregivers usually report the reduction of their life quality due to one of the family member's spinal cord injury. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of psycho-educational interventions on the life quality of the family caregivers of the patients with spinal cord injury. The present randomized controlled trial was conducted on 72 family caregivers who had the primary responsibility of taking care of the patients with spinal cord injury. The participants were randomly divided into intervention [n=36] and control groups [n=36]. The intervention group was involved in 90-minute educational sessions held once a week for four weeks. Both groups completed SF-36 questionnaire before and 2 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Then, the data were analyzed through independent t-test, Chi-square, and repeated measures ANOVA. All the caregivers had low quality of life and the lowest mean score was related to mental health in both groups. After the intervention, various dimensions of life quality had improved in the intervention group's caregivers compared to the control group [P<0.05]. The study results revealed the positive effect of psycho-educational interventions on the life quality of the caregivers of the patients with spinal cord injury. According to the results, the authorities have to pay special attention to the problems of this group and educational interventions have to be continuously followed.