The study, with 54 mothers and 54 fathers, found parents of children with disabilities reported more caregiving requirements and stress in all domains. Significant differences between mothers and fathers were found with mothers generally reporting more stress than fathers. Stress was negatively associated with amount of informal support for…

The Double ABCX model of family stress and coping was evaluated with 86 families raising mentally retarded children. The model evaluates the stressor (A), families' use of resources (B), their perception of the stressor (C), and the stress experiences (X). The causal ordering of the model suggested an ACBX rather than an ABCX relation. (Author/DB)

This paper addresses issues in the separation of level of functioning of a child with mental retardation and the general life satisfaction of parents in research on the effects of such children on their parents' level of psychological stress. It also urges development of instruments that do not mix items measuring physical demands and those…

A survey of 190 families caring for people with mental retardation in North Wales addressed caregivers' assessments of unmet needs, particularly respite care needs; the relation between management of dependency and unmet needs; characteristics of families expressing the greatest need for respite care; and implications for policy and practice.…

A study of 30 mothers with mentally retarded children and 30 with only nonretarded children found no overall group differences in maternal well-being. Child welfare issues and restrictive time demands were the most intense family problems reported by mothers with retarded children. (Author/JDD)

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)

The parents of 48 young handicapped children were surveyed concerning parenting stress, family adjustment, and psychological distress of mothers and fathers, and their relation to child characteristics, family social network, parent belief systems, and coping styles. Results strongly supported the utility of a proposed multidimensional model.…

A review of studies that used the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress with families rearing children with developmental disabilities identified three primary difficulties: (1) definitional problems: (2) multiple measures of the same construct that do not converge: and (3) failure to replicate. Solution strategies include separating demands,…

Thirty pairs of fathers and mothers who had school-age children with developmental disabilities were compared with each other and with 32 parent pairs of typical children. Results indicated no differences between the fathers and mothers of children with disabilities; however, these parents did experience more parental stress than others.…

Parental stress and family dysfunction were examined in 55 families with and 55 families without young children with developmental disabilities. Although families of disabled children showed higher levels of stress, they were only minimally different from control families in their family functioning, indicating high degrees of resiliency.…

Depression among 148 Latina women who have children with mental retardation was examined. Results showed that their depressive symptomatology was elevated, with almost half reporting excessive negative experiences. Family problems, health problems, and negative feelings about parenting their child with mental retardation were factors contributing…

Behavior problems were examined in 225 three-year-old children with or without developmental delays. Staff-completed Bayley Behavioral Scales and parent-completed Child Behavior Checklists (CBCLs) showed children with delays were 3 to 4 times as likely to have a score within the CBCL clinical range. Behavior problems caused more parent stress than…

The construct validity of the adapted version of the "Questionnaire on Resources and Stress-Short Form" was examined with 103 mothers of children with mild to severe developmental disabilities, aged 0-38. Results revealed that the questionnaire appears to be a valid, efficient, and effective measure of stress. (Author/JDD)

Family stress and coping behaviors of 90 mothers with moderately mentally retarded children exhibited no significant differences across 3 age groups: school entry, early adolescence, and young adult. Differences in perceived stress were found for race and maternal age; differences in coping behaviors were found for race, marital status, and…

The relationship between division of child care and marital satisfaction in 48 couples rearing a child either with or at risk for a developmental disability was explored. Greater father participation in child care was related to higher marital satisfaction for both parents. Results are discussed in terms of the adapted ABCX Model of Family…