Positive contributions made by children with an intellectual disability in the family : Mothers' and fathers' perceptions
TL;DR: The PCS is a reasonably robust measure and its use in future research should help to address questions about the nature and function of parental positive perceptions, and the PCS might also be used in applied settings to help balance the effects of asking families about their difficulties and support needs.
Abstract: The aims of this article were to test the psychometric properties of the Positive Contributions Scale (PCS), and to compare perceptions of positive contributions reported by mothers and fathers. Participants were 140 mothers and 60 fathers of children with intellectual disabilities. Results supported the reliability and construct validity of the PCS. Internal consistency was good for all subscales bar one, and the PCS total score was associated with scores on the Positive Affect Scale. There were differences on PCS scales for mothers and fathers, with mothers generally reporting more positive contributions than fathers. The PCS is a reasonably robust measure and its use in future research should help to address questions about the nature and function of parental positive perceptions. The PCS might also be used in applied settings to help balance the effects of asking families about their difficulties and support needs.
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TL;DR: Evidence is presented that a considerable number of families of children with autism display factors of resilience--reporting having become stronger as a result of disability in the family.
Abstract: Background Family resilience is a growing field of inquiry, investigating factors that contribute to a family’s becoming stronger in spite of dealing with adversity. Despite the growing interest in studying family resilience, the topic has not been explored in families with children who have disabilities.This report, a part of a larger study ‐ using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies ‐ is an examination of factors of family resilience in the families of children with autism. Evidence of family resilience such as family connectedness and closeness, positive meaning-making of the disability, and spiritual and personal growth were identified and examined in this part of the study. Method The study uses a survey methodology, analysing responses to several rating scales and written responses to three open-ended questions. Survey respondents consisted of !"# parents and other primary caregivers of a child with autism ‐ ages between $ and !% years. Results Results suggest identification of specific resilience processes, such as: making positive meaning of disability, mobilization of resources, and becoming united and closer as a family; finding greater appreciation of life in general, and other people in specific; and gaining spiritual strength. Conclusions This study presents evidence that a considerable number of families of children with autism display factors of resilience ‐ reporting having become stronger as a result of disability in the family.
442 citations
TL;DR: In terms of maternal expressed emotion, criticism and not emotional over-involvement was cross-sectionally but not longitudinally related to children's externalizing behavior problems and to maternal distress.
Abstract: Mothers of children with intellectual disability were assessed at two time points, 2 years apart (n = 75 at Time 1, n = 56 at Time 2). Data were gathered on maternal distress, mental health, expressed emotion, and the child's internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. Consistent with previous research with families of children who have intellectual disability, maternal distress and children's behavior problems entered into a bidirectional relationship over time. This relationship was found to be specific to externalizing problems. Exploratory analyses also suggest that maternal distress and depression had a bidirectional longitudinal relationship. In terms of maternal expressed emotion, criticism and not emotional over-involvement was cross-sectionally but not longitudinally related to children's externalizing behavior problems and to maternal distress.
284 citations
TL;DR: Mothers of children with Down syndrome, autism, and mixed etiology intellectual disabilities, matched on child age, gender, and communication skills, completed measures of their children’s adaptive and problem behaviors, their own parenting stress, and positive perceptions of their child.
Abstract: Mothers of children with Down syndrome, autism, and mixed etiology intellectual disabilities, matched on child age, gender, and communication skills (n = 19 in each group) completed measures of their child’s adaptive and problem behaviors, their own parenting stress, and positive perceptions of their child. Children with autism were rated as having more problem behaviors and lower levels of social competence than children with Down syndrome and mixed etiology intellectual disabilities. Mothers of children with autism scored lower on positive perceptions of their child, and higher on stress than the other two groups. After selecting closely matched groups, we found several group differences in child behavior but little evidence of group differences in maternal outcomes.
209 citations
Cites background or methods from "Positive contributions made by chil..."
...A total score was used, and this has strong reliability for parents of children with intellectual disabilities (Hastings et al. 2005)....
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...…assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales (Zigmond and Snaith 1983) which includes seven anxiety and seven depression items and has been widely used in community samples of parents of children with disabilities, with excellent psychometric properties (e.g., Hastings et al. 2005)....
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...Procedure The participants in the present study were a sub-sample from a larger survey study of families of children with intellectual disabilities (Hastings et al. 2005)....
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TL;DR: Examination of parents' perceived positive impact of a child with MR/DD found positive impact moderated the relationship between behavior problems and parenting stress, and main and moderating effects differed by parent ethnicity.
Abstract: 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.
204 citations
TL;DR: Hope is a construct that merits further investigation within families research, and is potentially a factor that could be utilised in intervention to help increase familial well-being.
Abstract: Background: Positive psychology is an area gaining credence within the field of intellectual disability (ID). Hope is one facet of positive psychology that is relatively unstudied in parents of children with ID. In the present study, we explore hope and its relationships with parental well-being in parents of school-aged children with ID.
Method: A total of 138 mothers and 58 fathers of children with ID took part in a questionnaire-based study. Parents reported on their feelings of hope and positive affect, other dimensions of psychological well-being (anxiety, depression and stress), and on their child's behaviour. For this study, hope was measured as a goal driven behaviour comprising two components: agency (the perception that one can reach his/her goals) and pathways (the perception that one can find alternative routes to reach these goals should the need arise).
Results: For mothers, regression analyses revealed that lower levels of hope (agency and pathways) and more child behaviour problems predicted maternal depression. Positive affect was predicted by less problematic child behaviour and by higher levels of hope agency. For fathers, anxiety and depression were predicted by low hope agency and positive affect was predicted by high hope agency. Hope pathways was not a significant predictor of paternal well-being. Hope agency and pathways interacted in the prediction of maternal depression such that mothers reporting high levels of both hope dimensions reported the lowest levels of depressive symptoms.
Conclusions: Hope is a construct that merits further investigation within families research, and is potentially a factor that could be utilised in intervention to help increase familial well-being.
166 citations
References
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TL;DR: It is suggested that the introduction of the scales into general hospital practice would facilitate the large task of detection and management of emotional disorder in patients under investigation and treatment in medical and surgical departments.
Abstract: A self-assessment scale has been developed and found to be a reliable instrument for detecting states of depression and anxiety in the setting of an hospital medical outpatient clinic. The anxiety and depressive subscales are also valid measures of severity of the emotional disorder. It is suggested that the introduction of the scales into general hospital practice would facilitate the large task of detection and management of emotional disorder in patients under investigation and treatment in medical and surgical departments.
35,518 citations
"Positive contributions made by chil..." refers methods in this paper
...Other parental measures Parents’ mental health was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS: Zigmond and Snaith, 1983)....
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TL;DR: Two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) are developed and are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period.
Abstract: In recent studies of the structure of affect, positive and negative affect have consistently emerged as two dominant and relatively independent dimensions. A number of mood scales have been created to measure these factors; however, many existing measures are inadequate, showing low reliability or poor convergent or discriminant validity. To fill the need for reliable and valid Positive Affect and Negative Affect scales that are also brief and easy to administer, we developed two 10-item mood scales that comprise the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The scales are shown to be highly internally consistent, largely uncorrelated, and stable at appropriate levels over a 2-month time period. Normative data and factorial and external evidence of convergent and discriminant validity for the scales are also presented.
34,482 citations
TL;DR: Limited support was found for the hypothesis that the positive and negative aspects of caregiving contributed to analogous aspects of generalized psychological well-being but not to the opposite-valence outcomes.
Abstract: Groups of spouse (N = 285) and adult child (N = 244) caregivers of elderly parents suffering from Alzheimer's disease were interviewed regarding their caregiving behaviors, evaluations of caregiving, and general psychological well-being. A model of caregiving dynamics where the objective stressor, caregiver resources, and subjective appraisal of caregiving (operationalized as caregiving satisfaction and burden) were studied as they affected both positive affect and depression was tested. For spouses, caregiving satisfaction was not related to aspects of the stressor, but was a significant determinant of positive affect. Among adult children, high levels of caregiving behavior resulted in both greater caregiving satisfaction and burden. Burden, in turn, was related to depression in both groups but, among adult child caregivers, positive affect was not affected by caregiving satisfaction. Limited support was found for the hypothesis that the positive and negative aspects of caregiving contributed to analogous aspects of generalized psychological well-being but not to the opposite-valence outcomes.
616 citations
TL;DR: Regression analyses revealed that paternal stress and positive perceptions were predicted by maternal depression; maternal stress was predicted by their children’s behavior problems and by their partner's depression.
Abstract: Systemic analyses of psychological functioning in families of children with autism have typically shown that parents report different experiences (e.g., stress) and that siblings may also be affected. The purpose of the present research was more explicitly to address relationships between child, partner, and parent variables. Parents of 48 children with autism (41 mother–father pairs) reported on child characteristics, and their own stress and mental health. Mothers were found to report both more depression and more positive perceptions than fathers. Regression analyses revealed that paternal stress and positive perceptions were predicted by maternal depression; maternal stress was predicted by their children’s behavior problems (not adaptive behavior or autism symptoms) and by their partner’s depression. The future testing of the mechanisms underlying these results is discussed. In addition, the need is emphasized for more systemic analyses to understand the psychological functioning of children with autism and their siblings and parents.
606 citations
TL;DR: Regression analyses showed that self-efficacy mediated the effect of child behavior problems on mothers' anxiety and depression, but there was no evidence that it functioned as a mediator for fathers.
Abstract: Self-efficacy has been identified in the general parenting literature as an important variable affecting parent outcomes. In the present study, 26 mothers and 20 fathers of children with autism reported on their self-efficacy, anxiety, and depression. Teachers rated the behavior problems of the children. Regression analyses showed that self-efficacy mediated the effect of child behavior problems on mothers' anxiety and depression, but there was no evidence that it functioned as a mediator for fathers. However, there was evidence that self-efficacy moderated the effect of child behavior problems on fathers' anxiety. No evidence for the moderating effect of self-efficacy was apparent for mothers. Methodological issues and the theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
591 citations
Additional excerpts
...Previous research with parents of children with disabilities has shown that the HADS maintains good reliability within these populations for both mothers and fathers (Hastings and Brown, 2002)....
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