A Review on Stress and Coping Mechanism among the Parents of Intellectual Disabled Children

Sanchita Bhunia, Dr. Irom Shirly

Abstract: Globally intellectual disability is one of the most prevalent developmental disability of the children. It is a developmental disability marked by lower than normal intelligence and limited daily living skill such as communication skill, social skills and taking care of self. So, family is the main source of support for those disabled children in the society. Parenting of children with intellectual disability is long term commitment and is much more stressful than parenting for normal children. When the parents learn that the child is having some form of disability, it causes enormous distress to them. Giving birth to a intellectually disabled children is an unexpected stressful event which affects the whole family. Objective of this review are to explore parenteral stress and their adopted coping strategy and associated demographic factors. Several descriptive studies conducted on this area and it has been observed that parents of intellectual disabled child are confronted to so many challenges and problems. Mothers of the children with intellectual disability had more parental stress as compared to mothers of normal children. Most of the parents had severe level of stress and they used to cope up stress by using various coping strategies like use of instrumental social support, positive reinterpretation and growth, planning, suppression of competing activities and use of emotional social support. The parents having children with severe intellectual disability had low expectations, more negative attitudes towards child management and rearing practices as compare to parents with mildly and moderately disabled children. Coping strategies of the parents were decreasing with the severity of child?s intellectual disability. Male parents having good coping skills and mild stress than female parents. Female parents perceived higher level of stress and lower level coping skill than male parents. Level of stress and coping skill depend on degree of intellectual disability. Mildly challenged children were comparatively better coped up and lower stress.

Keywords: Stress, Coping mechanism, Intellectually Disable Children, Parents

How to Cite?: Sanchita Bhunia, Dr. Irom Shirly, "A Review on Stress and Coping Mechanism among the Parents of Intellectual Disabled Children", Volume 14 Issue 9, September 2025, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 132-134, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR25904012331, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR25904012331