A study on the levels of depression, stress and anxiety of parents having children with intellectual disability

Abstract

Intellectual Disability is a developmental disorder characterized by significantly impaired intellectual and adaptive functions. Due to global developmental delay, persons with Intellectual Disability often are dependent on their parents/care takers and require high support and assistance for completing their self-help skills and other day to day activities. Role of Care Givers in context of globalization regarding care of Persons with Intellectual Disability and associated conditions is very critical and has placed diverse perspectives against life span needs. Parenting a child with intellectual disability brings a lot of change in psychological makeup of the parents, owing due to irreversible condition of the nature of intellectual disability. An attempt is made to understand whether parents of the child having intellectual disability are affected or not, if effected whether mother and father of the child are equally affected or not. The perception of the condition of child is perceived differently by mothers and fathers was taken for the study. Research was directed to understand the depression, stress and anxiety of parents having child with intellectual disability on mothers and fathers. A Comparative Study was undertaken to unearth the psychological makeup in parenting in terms of their depression, stress and anxiety levels that parents of intellectually disabled children have and comparison levels of those depression, stress and anxiety between mothers and fathers. A sample of 80 parents including 40 fathers and 40 mothers was randomly selected From Hyderabad, India. DASS21 scales was administered on these samples, Depression, Stress and Anxiety levels was measured in both mother and father of intellectually disabled children. Research Revealed that Parents both fathers and mothers of children with intellectual Disability experience significant level of Depression, Stress and Anxiety. Statistical Analysis on the results shows that there is no significant difference in Depression, Stress and Anxiety levels that mothers and fathers are subjected, Depression, Stress and Anxiety persistently existent in both female and male gender. Depression, Stress and Anxiety have an association, if one exists other two also exists in parents.