ABSTRACT
Parents of children with disabilities are at risk for high stress and low marital quality; therefore, this study surveyed couples (n = 112) of children with Down syndrome (n = 120), assessing whether respite hours, stress, and uplifts were related to marital quality. Structural equation modeling indicated that respite hours were negatively related to wife/husband stress, which was in turn negatively related to wife/husband marital quality. Also, wife uplifts were positively related to both wife and husband marital quality. Husband uplifts were positively related to husband marital quality. Therefore, it is important that respite care is provided and accessible to parents of children with Down syndrome.
Subject(s)
Down Syndrome/psychology , Marriage/psychology , Parents/psychology , Respite Care/psychology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Adult , Child , Female , Humans , Male , Spouses/psychology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Single mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders are rarely studied, yet they may experience unique stressors. Researchers asked 122 single mothers to complete questionnaires concerning respite care, daily hassles/uplifts, depression, and caregiver burden. More than half (59.8%) accessed respite care, which was provided for 1 h per day, often by multiple sources (41%), such as grandparents and community agencies; most were satisfied with this care. Most mothers (77%) were at risk for clinical depression. While uplifts were negatively correlated with depression, hassles and caregiver burden were positively correlated with depression. Respite care was positively related to daily uplifts, and uplifts mediated the relationship between respite care and depression. Recommendations for researchers, policymakers, and school personnel are offered.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/nursing , Caregivers/psychology , Mothers/psychology , Respite Care/statistics & numerical data , Single Parent/psychology , Adult , Cost of Illness , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Models, Psychological , Young AdultABSTRACT
Although a large body of literature exists supporting the relationship between positive parenting and child outcomes for typically developing children, there are reasons to analyze separately the relevant literature specific to children with developmental disabilities. However, that literature has not been synthesized in any systematic review. This study examined the association between positive parenting attributes and outcomes of young children with developmental disabilities through meta-analytic aggregation of effect sizes across 14 studies including 576 participants. The random effects weighted average effect size was r=.22 (SE=.06, p<.001), indicative of a moderate association between positive parenting attributes and child outcomes. Publication bias did not appear to be a substantial threat to the results. There was a trend for studies with more mature parents to have effect sizes of higher magnitude than studies with young parents. The results provide support for efforts to evaluate and promote effective parenting skills when providing services for young children with disabilities.
Subject(s)
Authoritarianism , Autistic Disorder/therapy , Developmental Disabilities/therapy , Down Syndrome/therapy , Parenting , Achievement , Autistic Disorder/epidemiology , Autistic Disorder/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Comorbidity , Cooperative Behavior , Developmental Disabilities/epidemiology , Developmental Disabilities/psychology , Down Syndrome/epidemiology , Down Syndrome/psychology , Effect Modifier, Epidemiologic , Female , Humans , Infant , Internal-External Control , Learning Disabilities/epidemiology , Learning Disabilities/psychology , Learning Disabilities/therapy , Male , Object Attachment , Publication Bias , Social Behavior , Social SupportABSTRACT
Authors of this qualitative descriptive study interviewed 21 adolescent siblings of children with Down syndrome (DS) who also had additional health problems rated as requiring extensive care by parents. Analysis revealed positive/negative aspects of the experience; however, participants emphasized the positive rather than negative experiences and focused more on the fact that the child had DS rather than health problems requiring additional care. Most said they would not change anything about their experience and did not believe the child with DS would ever live independently. They did, however, acknowledge their family was affected by the caregiving needs of the child which often required extra vigilance or specific care depending on the health problem. Information gained can help improve understanding of adolescent sibling perceptions about living with a child with DS who also requires additional care because of ongoing health problems so more appropriate and individualized nursing interventions can be provided.
Subject(s)
Down Syndrome/complications , Family Nursing/methods , Sibling Relations , Siblings/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Caregivers/psychology , Child , Disabled Children/psychology , Female , Humans , Interviews as Topic , Male , Middle Aged , Parents/psychology , Qualitative Research , Social Class , Social Support , Young AdultABSTRACT
In order to discover if differences or relationships exist between religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships, 111 parents raising a child with a disability (CWD) and 34 parents raising typically developing children independently completed self-report questionnaires assessing religiosity, spirituality, and marital relationships. Parents raising typically developing children scored higher on private and public religiosity and marital satisfaction than parents raising a CWD; mothers scored higher on religiosity variables than fathers. Mothers' ratings of spirituality and family type (disability or typically developing child) predicted their ratings of marital conflict. Higher spirituality and raising typically developing children were associated with higher ratings of marital satisfaction for both mothers and fathers. However, spirituality also moderated the relationship between private/public religiosity and marital satisfaction only for fathers. This information helps improve interventions for families raising CWD and adds to the literature on the interplay of religiosity/spirituality/marital relationship.
Subject(s)
Disabled Children , Family Health , Marriage/psychology , Parents/psychology , Personal Satisfaction , Religion , Spirituality , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Attitude to Health , Child , Chronic Disease , Conflict, Psychological , Female , Humans , Male , Parent-Child Relations , Regression Analysis , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The purpose of this descriptive exploratory study was to explore the meaning of being a sibling using Parse's human becoming perspective. Twelve children between 5 and 15 years of age with a younger sibling with a cleft lip and palate or Down Syndrome participated. Through semi-structured interviews and the use of art, children talked about their experiences. Major themes portrayed the complex and paradoxical nature of being a sibling. The themes also revealed that having a sibling with special circumstances includes some unique opportunities and challenges. The finding of this study is the descriptive statement, being a sibling is an arduous charge to champion close others amid restricting-enhancing commitments while new endeavors give rise to new possibilities. Implications for nursing are discussed in the context of understanding being a sibling.
Subject(s)
Siblings/psychology , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Cleft Lip/psychology , Cleft Palate/psychology , Down Syndrome/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Nursing Theory , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
The professional literature provides ample evidence that individuals with autism exhibit a myriad of unusual social, communication, and behavioral patterns of interactions that present challenges to their families and service providers. However, there is a dearth of quality works on multicultural issues regarding autistic spectrum disorders. In this article, we explore issues surrounding autism and multiculturalism, with the intent not to provide answers but to raise questions for further examination. We focus our discussions on two primary issues: autism within cultural groups and multicultural family adaptation based on the framework of pluralistic societies in which some cultural groups are a minority within the dominant culture. We found differences in prevalence rates across races for autism and little information regarding how multicultural families adapt to raising a child with autism. Further, students with multicultural backgrounds and autism are challenged on at least four dimensions: communication, social skills, behavioral repertoires, and culture. Future research in these areas is clearly warranted.
Subject(s)
Autistic Disorder/ethnology , Cultural Diversity , Adolescent , Adult , Autistic Disorder/epidemiology , Autistic Disorder/genetics , Child , Cross-Cultural Comparison , Family , Female , Humans , Male , Minority Groups , Racial Groups , Social Support , Stress, Psychological , United States/epidemiology , United States/ethnologyABSTRACT
The presence of a child with disabilities elicits a variety of stress demands on the family. Religion is recognized as a powerful personal, family, and cultural variable. However, little is known about the influence of religion in dealing with disability among families within particular religious groups. This descriptive study explored themes of spiritual belief and religious support among families of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS, or Mormon) with a child with developmental disabilities. Parents shared perspectives of meaning that emerged from experiences with religion and family beliefs perceived to be unique. The core theme, "This is a Spiritual Experience," provides the foundation for a descriptive model that depicts aspects of finding meaning and perceived transcendence.