Positive impact of intellectual disability on families.
Understanding positive, as well as negative, impact of a child with mental retardation will lead to a more balanced view of families and disability. In two studies we examined parents' perceived positive impact of a child with MR/DD. Study 1 involved 282 young adults with severe mental retardation; Study 2 involved 214 young children with, or without, developmental delays. In both studies, positive impact was inversely related to behavior problems. Moreover, positive impact moderated the relationship between behavior problems and parenting stress. Also, main and moderating effects of positive impact differed by parent ethnicity. Latina mothers reported higher positive impact than Anglo mothers did when the child had MR/DD. These findings are discussed in the context of cultural beliefs.
Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside 92521, USA. jan.blacher@ucr.edu
Jan
J
Blacher
Bruce L
BL
Baker
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D003469:Culture; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005192:Family Health; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology