Mothers of children with developmental disabilities: stress in early and middle childhood.
Using a sample of 219 families of children with (n=94) and without (n=125) developmental disabilities, this study examined the longitudinal perspectives of maternal stress in early (ages 3-5) and middle childhood (ages 6-13) and its relationship to mothers' and children's characteristics. Multivariate latent curve models indicated that maternal stress remained high and stable with minimal individual variation in early childhood, but declined with significant individual variation in middle childhood. Maternal stress at the beginning of middle childhood was associated with earlier maternal stress, as well as children's behavioral problems and social skills. The trajectory of maternal stress across middle childhood was related to children's behavioral problems. Implications for interventions are discussed.
University of California, Riverside, United States.
Gazi
G
Azad
Jan
J
Blacher
George A
GA
Marcoulides
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D019988:Children with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
Developmental disabilities; Intellectual disabilities; Maternal stress; Parenting stress