Intellectual disability and mothers' stressors: A Greek Paradigm
Published:
Dec 15, 2017
Keywords:
Moderate intellectual disabilities Mothers’ stressors comorbid conditions Family support
Abstract
Ongoing research has demonstrated higher levels of stress for parents of children with intellectual disabilities than in parents of typically developed children. Three major source domains of parental stress include comorbid conditions, parental characteristics and parents’ life situations. The aim of this study was the investigation of Greek mothers’
perceptions of the characteristics of their intellectually disabled children and their life situations as stressors. The research was carried out in Rhodes, Greece. The study sample consisted of fifty-nine mothers of
children diagnosed with moderate intellectual disabilities with and without comorbid conditions. Interviews were used to collect the data. Main findings were that stress varies among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities and that children comorbid conditions appear to be the most important maternal stress factor. Family support should be based on the partnership-empowerment model. Further research on family needs of children with intellectual disabilities is needed in Greece, so that children find partnership and support throughout their lives.
Article Details
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Βουγιούκας Κ., Τζουριάδου Μ., Μενεξές Γ., Γκέκα Μ., & Μιχαλοπούλου Λ. .-. Ε. (2017). Intellectual disability and mothers’ stressors: A Greek Paradigm. Psychology: The Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 21(4), 421–436. https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.23510
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- Vol. 21 No. 4 (2014)
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- RESEARCH PAPERS
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