Assessment of Psychological Well-Being and Coping Strategies among Family Caregivers of Children with Down syndrome

Said Mohammed, Amgad; Mahmoud Mohamed, Sahar; Abdel-Hamid Zaki, Rania

doi:10.21608/ejhc.2021.190066

Assessment of Psychological Well-Being and Coping Strategies among Family Caregivers of Children with Down syndrome

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Ass. Lecturer of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing - Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University.

² Professor of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing- Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University.

³ Assistant Professor of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing - Faculty of Nursing Ain Shams University.

10.21608/ejhc.2021.190066

Abstract

Background: Family caregivers of children with Down Syndrome are frequently unstable and
forego their psychological well-being, suffer additional economic difficulties, ill health and cope
ineffectively than families without disabilities. Aim: This study aimed to assess psychological well-
being and coping strategies among family caregivers of children with Down Syndrome. Design: A
descriptive research design was utilized in this study. Setting: This study was carried out in the Genes
Clinics of Down Syndrome in the specialized clinics of the university pediatric hospital affiliated to
Ain Shams University Hospitals. Subjects: A sample of 60 family caregivers of children with Down
Syndrome. The study tools were: 1) Interviewing Questionnaire, 2) Brief-COPE inventory (Carver,
1997) and 3) Ryff’s Psychological well-being scale (1989). The results: The study showed that family
caregivers of children with Down Syndrome depended mainly on emotion-focused coping strategies in
managing burden of child caregiving and the most frequent used emotion focused coping strategies
were religion, acceptance and venting while the most frequent used problem-focused coping strategy
was use of instrumental support. Concerning to psychological well-being, more than half of family
caregivers of children with Down Syndrome had psychological well-being less than usual.
Conclusions: There was a negative statistically significant correlation between psychological well-
being and all types of emotion-focused coping strategies except for humor, acceptance and religion.
Meanwhile, there was a positive statistically significant correlation between level of psychological
well-being and all subscales of problem-focused coping strategies. Recommendations: Future research
to assess challenges encountered by siblings of Down Syndrome children and to apply supportive
intervention that promotes positive relationships and attitudes as well as Establishment of counseling
clinics for parents and siblings to improve their psychological well-being and coping strategies.

Keywords