Mental health in relation to parents of children with disabilities in india

Abstract

Parenting is regarded as the most amazing experience a person can have, and it is true to say that parents are essential in assisting children in growing and developing to the fullest extent possible. However, the most beautiful phase may become challenging if the child deviates from normalcy. Speaking of children with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities experience such social, psychological, emotional, and physical disturbances in life as their children strongly rely on them for their fundamental needs such as food, life skills, special education, safety, and care, etc. Worry, anxiety, despair, overprotection, rejection, and self-blame are all typical feelings for parents when they discover their child's condition. They are found to be frequently struggling with social situations as well. In such a condition, how can a parent be expected to have both balanced psychological well-being and a healthy parenting style? In order to highlight the importance of the delivery of appropriate interventions at the right moment to support parents in need, the researchers felt the need to conduct a study related to the dimensions and mental health status of parents of children with disabilities. For this study, a sample of 50 parents having children with disabilities (CwDs) and 50 parents having children without any disability (Cw/oDs) was prepared. The Mithila Mental Health Status Inventory was used to gather the data from the sample taken from Delhi, India. The hypothesis was framed and tested through descriptive and inferential statistical tools. In the end, the findings revealed that there was emotional instability, alienation, and egocentrism among parents of CwDs, and it was ultimately determined that the mental health of the parents of CwDs was poor. The mental health of parents of Cw/oDs was estimated to be average, with low levels of social alienation, emotional instability, and emotional nonconformity. Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference between the mental health of CwD parents and Cw/oD parents. The study proposes that since a parent's mental health directly affects how they parent their child, practitioners who work with families of CwDs must inquire about the mental strength of the parents and offer advice on coping mechanisms in order to reduce the stress levels of the parents. The good mental health of the parent is directly related to the quality of life of the entire family.