COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MINDFULNESS, AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE IN MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY

Abstract

Background: intellectual disability in a child is stigma for parents, particularly females and various mothers feel 
emotional pain on learning that their child is weak irreversibly and the concern cannot be cured. Also, awareness lack on 
managing the problem add tension of negative affect linked to child disability and mothers become victim of negative 
evaluation and criticism fear. 
Aim: The present study was aimed to assess the significance associated with family variables to determine stress, anxiety, 
and depression in mothers having children with intellectual disabilities. These family variables were presence of other 
siblings, age of the children, particularly concerning the gender. 
Methods: The study assessed 156 mothers in the age range of 25-45 years that had children with the intellectual disability 
and children in age of 5-13 years that were divided depending on 2 variables as gender and number of siblings of their 
child with intellectually disability and age of the child with intellectual disability. To assess stress, anxiety, and depression 
in mothers of children with intellectual disability was assessed using DASS (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) scale. 
Results: The study results depicted a significant difference in the three study groups namely mothers having both male 
and female children other than the child with intellectual disability, mothers having daughters only other than the child 
with intellectual disability, and mothers having only child concerning the variables of stress, anxiety, and depression with 
p<0.05.  
Conclusion: The present study concludes that various family variables can lead to mental health concerns and distress 
reaction in parents having children with intellectual disability. Expectations and beliefs of the mothers also have a 
significant contribution to emotional disturbance. Poor support from social system leads to depression in mothers. Lack 
of awareness and education concerning disability also play a major role causing distress in both mothers and children. 
There are limited training and education programs available to teach such parents.