Sense of Coherence and Coping with Stress in Fathers of Children with Developmental Disabilities

• Authors: Dabrowska Anna
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The aim of the study is to analyse the sense of coherence (SOC) and strategies of coping with stress in fathers of disabled children. The research involved 128 fathers of children with Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy and children with normal development. Two questionnaires were used: The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC-29) measuring SOC level and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) measuring strategies of coping with stress. The research revealed that there is a relationship between the type of child's developmental disability and SOC in fathers. The fathers with a low level of SOC more frequently used strategies of avoidance while the fathers with a high level of SOC more frequently used confrontation, positive reappraisal and planful problem solving. The results of the research indicate that looking after a disabled child may lower SOC and in turn may cause difficulties in coping with stress.

Keywords

EN

COPING WITH STRESS; DEVELOPMENTALLY DISABLED CHILDREN; FATHERS; SOC

Discipline

• PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY

• Publisher: Committee for Psychological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2008
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 29-34
• Physical description: source-id: PPB_39_1\C254050H7J228U8L.xml
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Dabrowska Anna

• Anna Dabrowska, Uniwersytet Warszawski, Wydzial Psychologii, ul. Stawki 5/7, 00-183 Warszawa, Poland

References

• Antonovsky, A. (1995).Rozwikłanie tajemnicy zdrowia. Jak sobie radzić ze stresem[Unraveling the Mystery of Health. How to cope with stress]. Warsaw: Fundation IPN.
• Antonovsky, A. (1997). Poczucie koherencji jako determinanta zdrowia [Sense of coherence as a determinant of health]. In: I. Heszen-Niejodek & H. Sęk (Eds.).Psychologia zdrowia[Health Psychology]. Warsaw: PWN.
• Boyd, B. A. (2002). Examinig the relationship between stress and lack of social support in mothers of children with autism.Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 17(4), 208-215.
• Britner, P. A., Morog, M. C, Pianta, R. C. & Marvin, R. S. (2003). Stress and coping: A comparison of self-report measures of functioning in families of young children with cerebral palsy or no medical diagnosis.Journal of Child and Family Studies, 12(3), 335-48.
• Dempsey, I. & Dunst, C. J. (2004). Help giving styles and parent empowerment in families with a young child with disability.Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 29,1, 40-51.
• Eker, L. & Tüzün, E. H. (2004). An evaluation of quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy.Disability and Rehabilitation, 26 (23), 1354-1359.
• Gray, D. E. (2003). Gender and coping: The parents of children with high functioning autism.Social Science and Medicine, 56, 631-642.
• Koniarek, J., Dudek, B. & Makowska, Z. (1993). Kwestionariusz Orientacji Życiowej. Adaptacja The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire (SOC) A. Antonovsky'ego [Life Orientation Questionnaire. Adaptation of The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire].Przegląd Psychologiczny, 4(36), 491-502.
• Lazarus, R. S. & Folkman, S. (1987). Transactional theory and research on emotions and coping.European Journal of Personality, 1, 141-169.
• Lustig, D. C. (2002). Family coping in families with a child with a disability.Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 73(1), 14-22.
• Margalit, M. & Ankonina, D. B. (1991). Positive and negative affect in parenting disabled children.Counseling Psychology Quarterly, 4 (4), 46-51.
• Margalit, M., Raviv, A. & Ankonina, D. (1992). Coping and coherence among parents with disabled children.Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 21 (3), 202-209.
• Mazanek, E. (2003).Mózgowe porażenie dziecięce. Problemy psychologiczno - pedagogiczne[Cerebral Palsy. Psychological and educational problems]. Warsaw: APS.
• Navalkar, P. (2004). Fathers' perception of their role in parenting a child with cerebral palsy: Implications for counseling.International Journal for the Advancement Counseling, 26(4), 375-382.
• Olechnowicz, H. (1995).Dziecko własnym terapeutą[Child as the therapist on his/her own] Warsaw: WSiP.
• Oleś, M. & Oleś, P. (2001). Z psychologicznych aspektów ojcostwa. [From the psychological aspects of fatherhood] In: D. Kornas-Biela (Ed.).Oblicza ojcostwa[Faces of fatherhood] (pp.255-268). Lublin: TN KUL.
• Olsson, M. B. & Hwang, C. P. (2001). Depression in mothers and fathers of children with intellectual disability.Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 45(6), 535-543.
• Olsson, M. B. & Hwang, C. P. (2002). The sense of coherence in parents of children with different developmental disabilities.Journal of Intellectual Disability, 46 (7), 548-559.
• Ones, K., Yilmaz, E., Cetinkaya, B. & Caglar, N. (2005). Assessment of the quality of life of mothers of children with cerebral palsy (primary caregivers).Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 19 (3), 232-237.
• Pasikowski, T. (2000).Stres i zdrowie. Podejście salutogenetyczne.[Stress and Health. Salutogenic approach]. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Fundacji Humaniora.
• Phua, V., Reid, S. M., Walstab, J. E. & Reddihouh, D. S. (2005). Inpatients care of children with cerebral palsy as perceived by their parents.Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, 41, 8, 432-440.
• Pisula, E. (1998a).Psychologiczne problemy rodziców dzieci z zaburzeniami rozwoju[Psychological problems of parents of children with developmental disabilities]. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego.
• Pisula, E. (1998b). Profile stresu u ojców dzieci z zaburzeniami rozwoju [Stress profiles in fathers of children with developmental disabilities].Psychologia Wychowawcza, 5, 419-425.
• Pisula, E. (2002). Rodzice dzieci z autyzmem - przegląd najnowszych badań [Parents of children with autism: recent research findings].Psychiatria Polska, 36, 95-108.
• Pisula, E. & Dąbrowska, A. (2004). Doświadczenia matek związane z otrzymaniem informacji o zespole Downa u dziecka [Mothers' experiences in being informed about Down syndrome in their children].Pediatria Polska, 79(6), 460-466.
• Quinn, P. (1999). Supporting and Encouraging father involvement in families of children who have a disability.Child and Adolescents Social Work Journal, 16(6), 439-453.
• Ricci, L. A. & Hoddap, R. M. (2003). Fathers of children with Down syndrome versus other types of intellectual disability: perceptions, stress and involvement.Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 47 (4/5), 273-284.
• Rodrigue, J. R., Morgan, S. B. & Geffken, G. (1990). Families of autistic children: Psychological functioning of mothers.Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 19(4), 371-379.
• Sęk, H. & Pasikowski, T. (1998). The quality of life, health and the sense of coherence in social context.Polish Psychological Bulletin, 29(1), 69-77.
• Steuden, S. & Zdunek, B. (2001). Psychologiczne aspekty funkcjonowania ojców dzieci z przepukliną oponowo-rdzeniową [Psychological aspects of functioning of fathers of children with meningeal-medullary rupture]. In: D. Kornas-Biela (Ed.),Oblicza ojcostwa[Faces of fatherhood] (pp. 407-426). Lublin: TN KUL.
• Taanila, A., Syrjälä, L., Kokkonen, J.& Järvelin, M. R. (2002). Coping of parents with physically and/or intellectually disabled children.Child Care, Health and Development, 28(1), 73-86.
• Tarakeshwar, N., Pargament, K. (2001). Religious coping in families of children with autism.Focus on Autism and Other Disabilities16 (4), 247-260.
• Turbiville, V. P., Marquis, J. G. (2001). Father participation in early education program.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 21(4), 223-231.
• Twardowski, A. (1999). Sytuacja rodzin dzieci niepełnosprawnych [The situation of families of disabled children]. In: I. Obuchowska (Ed.).Dziecko niepełnosprawne w rodzinie[The child with a disability in the family] (pp. 18-54). Warsaw: WSiP.
• Veisson, M. (2001). Parents of disabled children: Personality traits.Social Behavior and Personality, 29(6), 581-592.
• Wanamaker, C. E. & Glenwick, D. S. (1998). Stress, coping, and perceptions of child behaviour in parents of preschoolers with cerebral palsy.Rehabilitation Psychology, 43(4), 297-312.
• West, A. (1998). The piloting of a group for the fathers of children with Down syndrome.Child: Health, Care and Development, 24(4), 289-294.
• Young, D. M., Roopnarine, J. L. (1994). Fathers' childcare involvement with children with and without disabilities.Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 14(4), 488-503.
• Grohølt, E. K., Stigum, H., Northagen, R. & Köhler, L. (2003). Is parental sense of coherence associated with child health?European Journal of Public Health, 13(3), 195-201.
• Hastings, R. P. (2003). Child behaviour problems and partner mental health as correlates of stress in mothers and fathers of children with autism.Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 47(4/5), 231-237.
• Hedov, G., Anneren, G. & Wikblad, K. (2002). Swedish parents of children with Down syndrome. Parental stress and the sense of coherence in relation to employment rate and time spent in child.Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 16, 424-430.
• Hess, C. R., Teti, D. M. & Hussey-Gardner, B. (2004). Self-efficacy and parenting of high-risk infants: The moderating role of parents knowledge of infant development.Applied Developmental Psychology, 25, 423-437.

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

09PLAAAA07102

DOI

10.2478/v10059-008-0002-y