Perceived problem-solving ability, stress, and coping in mothers of children with physical disabilities: potential cognitive influences on adjustment.

Examined the contribution of perceived problem-solving ability to the adjustment of mothers of children with a physical disability, in conjunction with appraised disability-related stress and approach and avoidance coping, as a further evaluation of Wallander and Varni's Disability-Stress-Coping model emphasizing cognitive processes. One hundred sixteen mothers of children, ages 2 to 20, with spina bifida or cerebral palsy completed measures of relevant constructs. Results show that the mother's appraisal of disability-related stress is strongly associated with her reported maladjustment. However, perceptions of competence in problem solving are associated with better overall adjustment. A portion of this relation appears mediated by coping styLe, as confidence in one's problem-solving ability increases so does the likelihood of selecting more adaptive coping strategies when faced with disability-related stress. Overall, consideration of perceived problem-solving ability appears to make a valuable contribution to the Disability-Stress-Coping model and to current understanding of the experience of coping with raising a child with a disability. Perceived problem-solving ability can also be linked to clinical intervention, as discussed.

Development and evaluation of a measure of concerns related to raising a child with a physical disability.

Developed a measure of perceived disability-related stress, the Parents of Children with Disabilities Inventory (PCDI). A content analysis of concerns expressed by mothers identified four primary domains: Medical and Legal Concerns, Concerns for the Child, Concerns for the Family, and Concerns for the Self. Item analysis performed on an initial item pool administered to 48 mothers recruited from area spina bifida and cerebral palsy clinics identified 40 items for further investigation. Psychometric evaluation of this final version was, performed based on additional data collected from 63 mothers from the same clinics. The organization and reliability of the PCDI were confirmed through traditional measures of internal consistency and test-retest reliability over a 2-month interval. Preliminary support for the construct validity of the PCDI was provided through the confirmation of several hypothesized relationships. Scores on the PCDI were significantly related to maternal mental and physical health. Concerns for the Self scale made a significant unique contribution to these prediction models. Findings provide preliminary support for the PCDI being an appropriate and informative measure of perceived disability-related stress to be used with mothers of children with physical disabilities.