This 10-year study followed 134 caregivers of young adults with autism and intellectual disability, examining the effects of caregivers' coping strategies, sociodemographic features, and young adult symptomatology on caregiver well-being and depression. Lower caregiver education and higher young adult externalizing behaviors predicted lower…

Studies on the COVID-19 pandemic highlight detrimental effects of social distancing on mental health. These effects were also observed among caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), who undergo particular challenges in this context. This study aimed to identify the coping strategies adopted by caregivers of…

Background: Parenting an individual with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can be challenging, particularly during adulthood. It is important to better understand ways of supporting families as individuals with IDD age. Self-compassion is a potential internal coping resource for parents, and is strongly linked to positive mental…

Background: Depressive symptoms are common in children with developmental language disorder (DLD). However, risk and protective factors contributing to these problems are currently underspecified. Aims: The current longitudinal study examined the role of emotion-regulation (ER) strategies in the severity of depressive symptoms in children with and…

Objectives: Behavioral and emotional problems exhibited by children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have been identified as significant stressors for family members in both cross-sectional and longitudinal research. However, there is variability in the extent to which family members are affected by behavioral and emotional…

Among aging parents (mean age = 65, "N" = 139) of adults with developmental disabilities, we examined the effectiveness of multiple forms of coping with caregiver burden. As expected, accommodative strategies of adapting to stress (secondary engagement), used frequently in later life, buffered the impact of caregiver burden, whereas…

Depression is a serious disorder with severe and far-reaching consequences. Two decades of observational research have shown robust associations between maternal depression and adverse consequences on offspring (S. Campbell et al., 2004; S. Campbell, P. Matestic, C. von Stauffenberg, R. Mohan, & T. Kirchner, 2007; S. Campbell, A. Morgan-Lopez,…

Background: Parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) face greater caregiving demands than parents of children without DD. There is considerable variability in parents' adjustment to raising a child with DD, however. In line with a strengths-based approach, this study explores coping strategies as potential mechanisms of resilience…

The psychological well-being of fathers of children with developmental disabilities remains poorly understood. The present study examined depressive symptoms, pessimism, and coping in fathers of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS;n = 59), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs;n = 135), and Fragile X syndrome (n = 46). Fathers of sons or…

Background: Parents rearing children with developmental disabilities encounter stressors that require coping and adaptation. In Glidden et al. 2006, the use of problem-focused coping strategies was more often associated with positive adjustment outcomes than was the use of emotion-focused coping strategies, and parental personality was shown to…

A study involving 470 parents of children with developmental disabilities examined the psychometric properties of a five-item subcomponent (DEP5) of Factor 1, Parent and Family Problems, of the Friedrich Questionnaire on Resources and Stress. Results found the DEP5 to be a reliable and valid measure of depressive reactions. (Author/CR)

Maternal depression in families having a child with a disability has been the subject of considerable research over the past 25 years. This review was designed to describe the literature on maternal depression, critique its research methodology, identify consensus findings across studies, and make recommendations for future research. A particular…

Background: Parents with children with developmental disabilities (DD) encounter a variety of stressors associated with rearing their children and must develop effective coping mechanisms in order to adapt successfully to these challenges. Previous research has failed to establish the role of parental individual differences in the reported use of…

Mothers of children with developmental disabilities were reevaluated two years after participating in a life skills training program utilizing a cognitive behavior approach to reduce stress and depression and improve communication and problem-solving skills. Participants (n=153) reported lower stress, lower depression levels, and improved coping…

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2016, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 of April to 2 of May, 2016. Psychology, nowadays, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and…