Stress experienced by mothers of Malaysian children with mental retardation.
OBJECTIVE
To compare parenting stress among Malaysian mothers of children with mental retardation and a control group, and to determine factors associated with stress.


METHODS
Seventy-five mothers of children with mental retardation aged 4-12 years and 75 controls (those without disabilities who attended the walk-in paediatric clinic) participated in the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Intelligence quotient (IQ) and Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) scores, together with sociodemographic data, were entered into a multiple stepwise regression analysis, using the PSI as the criterion.


RESULTS
Mothers of children with mental retardation scored significantly higher than control subjects in both the child-related domain (difference between means 26.1, 95% confidence interval 19.6-32.5) and parent-related domain (difference between means 15.0, 95% confidence interval 7.9-22.1) of the PSI. The total child behaviour scores from the CBCL (P < 0.01), IQ scores (P < 0. 01) and sibship size (P < 0.01) were associated with child-related domain scores. For the parent-related domain, CBCL (P < 0.01) and IQ scores (P = 0.01) remained important factors but Chinese ethnicity (P < 0.01) and maternal unemployment (P < 0.01) were also significant predictors of stress.


CONCLUSIONS
A large proportion of mothers of children with mental retardation experienced substantial parenting stress, especially Chinese and unemployed mothers, and this warrants appropriate intervention.
Ong
L
L
Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. onglc@medic.ukm.my
Chandran
V
V
Peng
R
R
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008607:Intellectual Disability; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015406:Single Parent / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*