Author: Mehrunisa Khanzada
Supervisor: Nazia Bashir
Degree: BS
Year: 2009-2013
University: Centre for Clinical Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the parental stress and marital adjustment among the parents of mentally challenged children such as Down Syndrome and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. A sample of 84 participants which were the parents of mentally challenged children between ages 3-16 years. This included 21 fathers (M=45.81, SD=6.13) and 21 mothers (M=39.55, SD=5.15) who had children with Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and 21 fathers (M=43.86; SD=7.09) and 21 mothers (M=38.33, SD=7.63) who had children with Down Syndrome. It was hypothesized that firstly; there would be a relation of parental stress and marital adjustment, secondly, there would be a difference in parental stress in parents having mentally challenged child according to child’s disability and thirdly, there would be a difference in marital adjustment in parents having mentally challenged child according to the type of child’s disability. The two groups were matched on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Parental Stress Scale and Locke and Wallace Marital Adjustment Test were used as instruments in the present study. The results highlighted a significant negative correlation between the parental stress and marital adjustment among the parents of mentally challenged children. Other results also supported the hypotheses. The implications of the study included guiding the health care professionals in devising suitable intervention programs for the parents of mentally challenged children keeping in view the findings of the present study.
Keywords: Parental Stress, Marital Adjustment, Mentally Challenged Children, Down syndrome, Attention-deficit Hyperactive Disorder.
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