The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between family stress and adaptation in families with a disabled child through literature review using McCubbin's Double ABCX family crisis framework. The literature review focused on (1) family stress and factors affecting family stress, (2) the critical individual, familial and social resources which families acquire and employ over time in managing crisis situation, (3) the changes in definition and meaning families develop in an effort to make sense out of their predicament, (4) the coping strategies families employ, and (5) the range of outcomes of these family efforts The results showed that families reported financial difficulties and the burden of care-giving demands as major family stressors. Siblings of disabled children manifested depressive symptoms and social isolation, but was not consistent study results. The parents' views of the cause of the disabling condition fundamentally affected their behavior toward their disabled child. Especially, the fathers' views of the child's characteristics made the greatest contribution to positive changes in the mothers' perceptions. The term perceived social support refers to the cognitive appraisal by individuals that they are cared for and valued, that significant others are available to them if needed, and that they are satisfied with their interpersonal relationships. The perceived social support was more protective than social support source, network size and network density. Parental adaptation was found to be related to the child's communication competence rather than family coping strategies proposed by Lazarus and Folkman. One study results showed that there was no difference in depressive symptoms and physical health between mothers with a disabled child and those without all though mothers with a disabled child had negative attitudes and perceived themselves as having significantly less social support and lower family functioning. But a longitudinal study revealed decreases in the negative impact of the child and increases in sibling and overall family adaptation.
This study describes the ecological variables effect on child abuse potential and the results from a prevention program for parents with disabled children aiming at decreasing child abuse potential.
Data was collected from 30 parents with disabled preschoolers attending an early education center in a community. The program consisted of handouts, small group lectures, support group meetings on understanding the disabled child-parents relationship, communication skill improvement, non-punitive discipline techniques, and influences of child abuse. A non equivalent pre-post test design was employed.
Ecological variables, and parenting self-efficacy, had a significant effect on child abuse potential in parents with a disabled child. By regression parenting self-efficacy showed(27.1%) child abuse potential. Both parenting self-efficacy and beliefs in corporal punishment directly related to (52.0%) child abuse potential in parents. The program was effective inbringing some positive changes on pareting self-efficacy beliefs in corporal punishment, and child abuse potential toward disabled children. However, marital discord was not significantly effected.
Child abuse prevention programs should decrease thechild abuse potential in parents. Thus I recommend a child abuse prevention program development; for parents with disabled adolescents, and teachers in disabled child education.
This study was done to evaluate the effects of 3 times/week and 5 times/week abdominal meridian massage with aroma oils (AMMAO) on the relief of constipation among hospitalized children with disabilities involving the brain lesions (cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and others).
The participants were 33 hospitalized children with a disability involving the brain (15 were in the 5 times/week of AMMAO group and 18 were in the 3 times/week of AMMAO group). Data were collected from March 21 to May 1, 2011. Chi-square test, t-test, and repeated measures ANOVA with SPSS 18.0 were used to evaluate the effects of AMMAO.
While there was no significant difference between the two groups, there was a significant difference within groups between baseline and the end of the intervention period for the following, frequency of suppository use or enemas, amount of stool, and number of bowel movements.
The results of this study indicate that AMMAO is an effective nursing intervention in relief of constipation for hospitalized children with a disability involving the brain. Therefore it is recommended that AMMAO be used in clinical practice as an effective nursing intervention for relief of constipation to these children.
This study was done to develop a model which explains factors influencing caring behavior of mothers who have children with disabilities, and to verify the appropriateness of the model and the relationship among variables.
The participants in the research were the mothers who had a 3 to 12 yr-old children with disabilities. The data were collected from 451 mothers through self-reported questionnaires from July 14 to 31, 2008. A total of the 371 data sets were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 11.5 and AMOS 5.0 version.
The children's behavior characteristics, social support, objective burden and parenting self-esteem had an impact on the mothers' caring behavior. Especially, parenting self-esteem including parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy was the most influential factor. These variables explained 77% of the mothers' caring behavior for these children.
The results suggest that some strategies for promoting mothers' parenting self-esteem focused on parenting satisfaction and self-efficacy should be developed in order to help mothers in caring for their child who is disabled.