Exploring the Level of Parenting Stress, General Health and Social Support Among the Caregivers of Children with Intellectual Disability—A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

The birth of a child with intellectual deficits has been associated with various difficulties in the lives of the caregivers and parents. Although, there has been numerous Western studies illustrating and contributing to the present literature of the plight of individuals suffering with intellectual disability, in the Indian context, the various psychological and social aspects are not holistically explored. A different research gap observed in past studies was the use of quantitative approach, thereby neglecting the need for in-depth qualitative understanding of the caregivers’ experiences. In the present study, sample selection was based on convenience sampling, comprising of primary care providers visiting the out-patient department of RINPAS, Ranchi. The sample consisted of a total of 40 caregivers, 10 from each group (mild, moderate, severe and profound), as per the ICD-10 DCR. Data was analyzed using a mixed method design, using both quantitative and qualitative research designs. The results showed significant level of distress in the domain of parental distress, somatic symptom presentations and depression levels among the four subgroups. Further thematic analysis explored four global themes from the detailed semi-structured interviews with 14 caregivers: “my positive experiences of caregiving”; “my unpleasant times during caregiving”; commonalities in the issues jointly shared and “How I am grappling with the negativities”.