Parental Stress and Parent-Child Relationship among parents with children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

Parental stress affects psychological well-being and is found in both parents of typical children and parents of children with disabilities. Therefore, this is an important factor to consider when discussing parents of children with disabilities and the relation between parents and their children. This study analyzes the relationship between parental distress and parent-child relationship among parents that have children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The sample consisted of 43 parents that completed the standardized questionnaires in regard to their relationship with their children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. The study participants come from different backgrounds, and the mean age of their children was 10.56. To determine the parents’ stress level, we used the Parental Stress Scale, and for the relationship between parent and child, the Child-Parent Relationship Scale. The results revealed that the relationship between the parents and children plays an important role when it comes to parental stress. Namely, we found that closeness between a parent and their child is a great predictor of parental stress, and conflicts between the two also have an influence on the degree of stress a parent experiences.