Child adjustment as related to financial security and employment status of fathers with spinal cord injuries.
Many rehabilitation professionals have expressed concern about the effects that socioeconomic changes associated with disability in a parent have on children's adjustment. It has been speculated that financial insecurity and unemployment among fathers with disabilities adversely affect child development, because of the presumed consequence of reversal in parental roles. This study tested these notions by comparing children whose fathers with spinal cord injuries (SCI) were: (1) receiving ample, secure income vs low income that was not guaranteed, and (2) employed vs unemployed. All subjects were given seven tests measuring personality, values, and interests, which were completed in a standardized order and time period. On 16 demographic indices and more than 150 measures of children's personality, behavior, and attitudes, only 17 were related to the financial resources of fathers with SCI and 11 to their employment status. Contrary to opinions in previous reports, no adverse relationships were found between child adjustment and the financial security or employment status of fathers with SCI. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004651:Employment; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008950:MMPI; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010551:Personality; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012917:Social Adjustment; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries