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Families under pressure: stress and quality of life in parents of children with an intellectual disability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2020

Emma Staunton ,
Claire Kehoe  and
Louise Sharkey
Emma Staunton*
Affiliation:
Linn Dara CAMHS ID, Cherry Orchard Hospital Campus, Dublin 10, Ireland
Claire Kehoe
Affiliation:
Linn Dara CAMHS North Kildare, Celbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Louise Sharkey
Affiliation:
Linn Dara CAMHS ID, Tallaght Hospital, Dublin 24, Ireland
*
*Address for correspondence: Dr E. Staunton, Buttercup Suite, Linn Dara CAMHS, Cherry Orchard Hospital, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, Ireland. (Email: emma.staunton1@hse.ie)
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate stress and quality of life in parents of children with an intellectual disability (moderate–severe–profound), who attend a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Intellectual Disability Service (CAMHS ID), and to estimate the perceived levels of challenging behaviour and satisfaction with supports.

Methods

Data from children attending the service from 2014 to 2017, along with clinician and parent rating scales were collected.

Results

Most children had medical comorbidities, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and challenging behaviours. Half had a diagnosis of a mental health disorder. Less than half received respite care. Challenging behaviours and ASD were found to be correlated with increased parental stress while perception of support was inversely correlated with stress. Intellectual disability, ASD, and parental stress were correlated with a decrease in perceived family quality of life.

Conclusions

This study concurs with previous studies, outlining that parents of children with intellectual disability, in particular, where there is a diagnosis of comorbid ASD and challenging behaviour, experience increased psychological distress and lower quality of life.

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorderfamily quality of lifeintellectual disabilitystresssupport
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , June 2023 , pp. 192 - 199
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland

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