Adaptive Behaviour in Children with Mental Retardation as a Correlate of Maternal Stress

Research consistently indicates that parents of children with mental retardation report considerably more stress associated with child characteristics than parents with typically developing children. It is commonly believed that the adaptive functioning and problem behaviour of a child with mental retardation plays a significant role in the stress a parent experiences especially mothers. The present study examines maternal stress and adaptive behaviour of children with mental retardation and attempts to find out relationship among maternal stress in mothers with that of adaptive behaviour in children with mental retardation. Participants consisted of a purposively selected 60 mothers and their respective children with mental retardation. Mothers ranged in age from 26 to 40years, with an average age of 33years (SD=4.292) and their children with mental retardation ranged in age from 48 to 192months, with an average age of 114.767 months (SD=33.742). Maternal stress in mothers was assessed using the Family Interview for Stress and Coping in Mentally Retarded Section-I (FISC-MR-I). Adaptive and Problem Behaviour in children with mental retardation were assessed using the Vineland Social Maturity Scale (VSMS) respectively. The results established a relation between maternal stress and adaptive behaviour of the child (r=-0.617), maternal stress and this correlation was found statistically significant. The specific mother related and child related demographics that are related to elevated maternal stress levels are discussed. The correlation among maternal stress scale domains and adaptive behaviour scale domains scales are also discussed.