Some psychiatric and social aspects of mental retardation; the maladaptive responses of parents to mentally handicapped children in Egypt

ABSTRACT

This study has been carried out on 20 families of mentally handicapped children, the aim of this paper was to outline the tragic impact on any family of a mentally handicapped child and their feelings which permit all current and future relationships between family members and others as they affect the efforts of the family to cope with their child's handicap. As in agreement with similar western studies the effect on parents having a mentally retarded child could be summed up as first grief and second burden of care. The stages of grief were discussed in details as well as the details of burden of care with reference to the difference between Egyptians and western cultures. The conclusion was that there is a great need to decrease the burden of care on the parents and enabling children to live in the communities by providing appropriate schooling, relief care informed advice on practical problem and so on