Parenting is inherently stressful at times and several studies have shown that
being a caregiver of a child who is disabled is even more stressful. A number of
studies have tried to identify demographic and psychosocial variables which are
predictive of parenting stress levels. It is obvious from these studies that
parenting stress is complex as there is no general consensus as to what the
factors are which exacerbate or mediate parenting stress in caregivers of
children who are disabled.
The aim of this study was therefore to assess the parenting stress levels of
caregivers of children who are disabled and to try to establish whether the level
of the child’s disability influenced parenting stress levels. Further objectives were
to ascertain whether various psychosocial and demographic variables were
predictive of parenting stress levels.
In order to meet these objectives the Parenting Stress Index/Short Form was
sent to caregivers of children with cerebral palsy who were attending Frances
Voorweg School in Johannesburg. Caregivers also completed a demographic
questionnaire. The severity of disability of the children was classified using the
Gross Motor Function Classification System.
Thirty-five parenting stress questionnaires were returned to the researcher.
Means and frequencies were used to summarise the demographic data. T-tests
were performed to establish whether there was any significant difference
between the parenting stress levels of caregivers of children who were more
functionally disabled and those whose children were less disabled. Pearson’s
correlations were used to determine whether there was any correlation between
demographic variables and parenting stress levels.
The parents of the children in the sample showed clinically significant, and in
many cases, pathological levels of parenting stress. This stress was however,
not in anyway influenced by the severity of their children’s disabilities. The only
variable that correlated strongly to the level of parenting stress was found to be
the income level of the family (r=0.8).
The results of this study confirm that parenting stress is complex and that it is not
a simple matter to predict the parenting stress levels of caregivers of disabled
children. Therapists should evaluate the needs of each family individually and
follow a family centred approach when managing children with cerebral palsy.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/5342 |
| Date | 13 August 2008 |
| Creators | Pugin, Angela Janine |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 3413466 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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