أثر وجود طفل معاق على الوالدين : دراسة ميدانية

Abstract EN

This study deals with the effect of having a disabled child in the family through measuring the tension and psychological stress that parents are exposed to as a result of such disability.

Discussed topics included the effect of having a disabled child on the level of parents’ performance of their regular work and functions, the stability of marital relationship, and parents’ coping with the surrounding social environment.

Variations among families are investigated regarding the effect of child disability on the family according to each of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the families.

Data were gathered by using a questionnaire through an interview with parents of disabled children of four years old or younger who were getting services from the Regional Specialized Academy for Training and Consultations.

A survey method was used in which parents of 80 children were interviewed, those represented 90.91% of all beneficiaries during a three-week period.

The Likert Scale with five items was used to measure the level of tension and psychological stress.

To measure internal consistency among the statements of the scale, Cornobach’s Alpha was used in which a value of 0.91 was obtained.

Data were analyzed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Descriptive statistics were used to characterize respondents.

One-way ANOVA and t-test were also used to identify variations in parents’ performance of their functions, relationship between parents, and psychological stress among fathers according to some qualitative characteristics of disabled children and their families by using a level of significance of 95%.

The study found no differences with a statistical significance between each of the independent variables of child age, gender, ranking among brothers and sisters, parents’ education, father’s employment, and family type, and each of the dependent variables of psychological pressure among parents, performance of family functions, and marital relationship.

On the contrary, there were differences with a statistical significance between the status of mother’s employment and each of the variables of performance of family functions and marital relationship.