So You Try Again but Youre Retarded System
INTRODUCTION
A mentally retarded child in a family is usually a serious stress factor for the parents. It oftentimes requires a reorientation and reevaluation of family goals, responsibilities and relationships. In India, the majority of persons with mental retardation have traditionally been cared for past their families. In today's modern society this home-based care has resulted in many agin consequences. Factors such as changes in the social system (eastward.m. breaking upward of joint families) and the economic system (e.1000. unemployment, inflation, etc.) have contributed to the stress that parents of mentally retarded children experience.
The emotional and social stress that these parents undergo have been described by various investigators in the East and Due west.ane – 5 On the other hand, few studies have shown that stress is not an inevitable effect in these parents.half dozen seven Withal, studies comparing the stress perceived by parents of mentally retarded and normal children are limited. Therefore, we undertook this study (i) to discover whatsoever divergence in the perceived stress between both the parents of mentally retarded children, (2) to establish whether these stresses occur more frequently in parents of mentally retarded children than in those of normal children, and (iii) to detect any correlation between the severity of perceived stressors and the feet land of these parents.
METHODS
This report was conducted in the Child Guidance Clinic at the Institute of Psychiatry and Man Behaviour, Goa, from January 2000 to Feb 2001. I hundred 80 subjects were selected and categorized into three groups: A, B and C. Only children who had both parents were included in this report. All the children were matched for age and sex, just not IQ.
Group A consisted of 60 parents (30 mothers and 30 fathers) of profound to moderately mentally retarded children (mean IQ: 38.63). Grouping B consisted of threescore parents (xxx mothers and xxx fathers) of mild to borderline mentally retarded children (hateful IQ: 63.2). Group C consisted of lx parents (thirty mothers and 30 fathers) of physically healthy children with normal intelligence (mean IQ: 107.7) from a city primary schoolhouse.
All the mentally retarded children were diagnosed by a consultant psychiatrist using the ICD-10 criteria8 and their IQs were assessed by a psychologist using the post-obit intelligence tests: the Vineland Social Maturity Calibration,9 Seguine Form Board,ten Binet Kamat Exam of Intelligence11 and the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test.12
A semi-structured proforma was prepared for this study, which included (i) specific variables of the child such as age, sex and severity of mental retardation (ii) sociodemographic variables such equally parental age, organized religion, education, occupation, family income and type of family.
Each parent was interviewed and evaluated separately. Parents were then administered the Family unit Interview for Stress and Coping (FISC) in Mental Retardation, Department i, of Girimaji et al.thirteen It is a semi-structured interview schedule, a tool to written report stress and coping in families of children with mental retardation. The tool consists of section 1 for measuring perceived stress (daily care, emotional, social and financial) and section 2 for measuring mediators or coping strategies (awareness, attitudes, expectations, rearing practices and social support).
Section i was used in this study. It has eleven subscales which include extra inputs of care, decreased leisure time, neglect of others, disturbed behaviour, personal distress, marital bug, other interpersonal problems, effect on sibs and other family worries, altered social life, social embarrassment and fiscal implications. The parents were rated on a 5-point calibration (no or minimal stress to a very high level of stress). The absence of stress was rated as zero and a score of four was given for a very high level of stress.
The Hamilton Feet Rating Calibration (HARS)fourteen was used to evaluate the rate of anxiety. This scale has xiv subscales which include broken-hearted mood, tension, fears, indisposition, intellectual (cognitive), depressed mood, somatic (muscular), somatic (sensory), cardiovascular symptoms, respiratory symptoms, gastrointestinal symptoms, genitourinary symptoms, autonomic symptoms and behaviour at interview. All the parents were rated on a 5-signal calibration. The absence of symptoms was rated as zero and a score of four was given for the astringent category. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS software (chi-foursquare examination, t test and ANOVA).
Some interesting trends were observed in the sociodemographic characteristics of the study groups. The hateful age of fathers in group B was 38.27 years (SD±0.83) and it was higher as compared to that of those in groups A (36.03 years; SD±one.44) and C (34.37 years; SD±0.89). The mean age of mothers in group C (27.ix years; SD±one.07) was comparatively lower than the mean ages of those in groups A (31.3 years; SD±1.77) and B (31.3 years; SD±0.84). More than sixty% of the parents in all the three groups belonged to nuclear families. The educational level of both the parents in groups A and B was lower equally compared to that of group C. In all the groups, the bulk of mothers were housewives. X per cent of fathers in group A, iii.33% in group B and half-dozen.67% in group C were unemployed; 40% of fathers in group C, thirty% in group B and xvi.67% in group A were engaged in professional jobs. The family income of group C participants was higher as compared to those in groups A and B (33.33%).
RESULTS
Table 1 compares the FISC scores of the mothers and fathers in each group separately and indicates that the scores of mothers in groups A and C differed significantly from their spouses (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively), whereas no significant difference was plant in the FISC scores of mothers and fathers in group B.
Comparison between the FISC scores of mothers and fathers in all groups
Table ii compares the perceived stressors among parents in groups A, B and C. When groups A and B were compared, a significant departure was noted in all the perceived stressors except marital problems, other interpersonal problems, effects on sibs and other family members, and fiscal implications. A meaning difference was noted in all the perceived stressors when groups A and C were compared. When groups B and C were compared, a significant difference was noted in all the perceived stressors except other interpersonal problems.
Comparison of perceived stressors among parents in groups A, B and C
Table iii compares the HARS scores of mothers and fathers in the groups separately and indicates that simply mothers in group A differed significantly from their spouses (p<0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed in the HARS scores of mothers and fathers in groups B and C.
Comparing between the HARS scores of mothers and fathers in all groups
Table four compares the FISC and HARS scores of groups A, B and C using ANOVA. A significant difference was noted in the perceived stress and anxiety level among parents in groups A, B and C.
Comparison of the FISC and HARS scores of all the groups using ANOVA
Table 5 indicates a positive correlation between perceived stress and the level of feet (i.east. FISC and HARS scores). The correlation was found to exist meaning in group A (both fathers and mothers, p<0.05 and p<0.01), group B (both mothers and fathers, p<0.01 and p<0.05) and in group C but for fathers (p<0.01).
Correlation between the FISC and HARS scores of parents in groups A, B and C
DISCUSSION
Stress among parents is not an inevitable effect of having mentally retarded children. A combination of multiple stressors appears to predict the likelihood of the parents experiencing stress and anxiety. Stressors can be defined as those life events that will bring about a change in the family unit organisation.xv Our study revealed that the level of parental education and family income had an bear on on the perceived stress and anxiety manifested by parents of mentally retarded children in groups A and B.
A number of investigators such as Beckman,16 Burden,17 Bradshaw and Lawton18 found that mothers of mentally retarded children had a high level of stress. The observations of our study that (i) both parents in group A had a high level of perceived stress, (ii) mothers in groups A, B and C differed significantly on the FISC scores, and (iii) mothers in groups A and C differed significantly from their spouses on the FISC scores, are partially in accordance with those of Beckman,xvi Burden,17 and Bradshaw and Lawton.18 Probably, mothers who were housewives without additional help felt restricted in pursuing their social and leisure activities, and experienced more stress. Further, the finding of this study that fathers in groups A, B and C differed significantly in experiencing stress is in accordance with that of Wishart et al.19
Kumar and Akhtar20 found that mothers of mentally retarded children had a higher level of anxiety as compared to mothers of normal children; this was also observed in our study. This study revealed that (i) mothers in group A differed significantly from those in groups B and C, (ii) mothers in group A showed a higher level of anxiety as compared to their spouses, and (iii) fathers in group A showed a comparatively college level of anxiety than fathers in groups B and C. No literature is available to support these results.
In addition, the finding of this study that there was a positive relationship betwixt the perceived stress and anxiety manifested in groups A, B and C (except mothers in group C needs to be confirmed past further research.
In conclusion, demographic variables had an impact on parents in groups A and B as compared to those in group C. Multifaceted factors had made these parents more than vulnerable to stress than parents in the control grouping. The high level of stress experienced by parents in grouping A could be related to subjective factors such as a feeling of being restricted, social isolation and dissatisfaction, and might have paved the mode for the manifestation of anxiety symptoms.
The limitation of this study was that it was a purposive sampling. As well, the FISC was designed merely for families with children having severe mental retardation and was not suitable for the parents of balmy to moderately mentally retarded and normal children. Personality traits of parents that might have influenced the perception of stress were likewise non taken into consideration.
Considering the above-mentioned lacunae of the present written report, further community-based research needs to be conducted. Intervention services for parents of mentally handicapped children need to be decentralized. This will aid in providing such parents with as many skills every bit possible to bargain with their children. The support system of these parents can be enhanced by organizing self-help groups, which can serve as vehicles for communication. Parents tin share their feelings and notice means to deal with their problems. Support groups can also diminish the feeling of isolation experienced by some families with mentally retarded children.
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Keywords:
Mental retardation; anxiety; stressors
Source: https://journals.lww.com/indianjpsychiatry/Fulltext/2005/47030/Stress_and_anxiety_in_parents_of_mentally_retarded.4.aspx
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