Risk factors associated with the mental health of fathers of children with an intellectual disability in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Raising a child with a disability places considerable demands and stress on parents, which can contribute to mental health difficulties. Research has primarily focused on mothers' mental health, and our understanding of the effects on fathers remains limited. The factors that place fathers at increased risk of mental health difficulties are also poorly understood. This study aimed to redress these gaps by reporting on the mental health of a large sample of fathers of children with an intellectual disability (ID) (aged 3-15 years), comparing this to published Australian norms and mothers of children with ID. The second aim of the study was to explore risk factors associated with fathers' mental health. METHOD: The data for this study come from 315 Australian fathers of children (aged 3-15 years) with ID, who participated in the large-scale evaluation of the Signposts for building better behaviour programme. Fathers completed a range of self-report questionnaires at baseline including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). RESULTS: Fathers in the present sample reported significantly more symptoms of depression and stress than the Australian normative data, with approximately 6-8% reporting symptoms in the severe to extremely severe range. The strongest predictors of fathers' mental health difficulties were children's behaviour problems, daily stress arising from fathers' own needs and children's care needs, and low parenting satisfaction. Socio-economic factors did not predict mental health difficulties. CONCLUSION: This study is among one of the first to report the mental health of fathers of children with a disability in Australia. Findings highlight that some fathers of children with ID are at heightened risk of experiencing mental health difficulties, underscoring the importance of the provision of information and interventions to promote their mental health.

Child, parent and family factors as predictors of adjustment for siblings of children with a disability.

BACKGROUND: Siblings adjust to having a brother or sister with a disability in diverse ways. This study investigated a range of child, parent and family factors as predictors of sibling adjustment outcomes. METHODS: Forty-nine siblings (aged 7-16 years) and parents provided information about (1) sibling daily hassles and uplifts; (2) sibling coping; (3) parent stress; (4) parenting; and (5) family resilience. Multiple regression techniques were used. RESULTS: It was found that parent and family factors were stronger predictors of sibling adjustment difficulties than siblings' own experiences of stress and coping. Specifically, socio-economic status, past attendance at a sibling support group, parent stress, family time and routines, family problem-solving and communication, and family hardiness-predicted sibling adjustment difficulties. Finally, siblings' perceived intensity of daily uplifts significantly predicted sibling prosocial behaviour. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that the family level of risk and resilience factors were better predictors of sibling adjustment than siblings' own experiences of stress and coping resources, highlighting the importance of familial and parental contributions to the sibling adjustment process. The implications of these results for the design of interventions and supports for siblings are discussed.

Family predictors of maternal and paternal involvement in programs for young children with disabilities.

The study of family variables has become increasingly critical in understanding outcomes typically considered program driven. Research linking family variables to parental involvement in early intervention programs for young children with disabilities is generally lacking. The purpose of this study was to determine the combined influence and predictive ability of family characteristics on maternal and paternal involvement in early intervention programs. Service providers rated mothers' and fathers' involvement in early intervention programs. Mothers and fathers completed a battery of self-report questionnaires related to a variety of constructs, such as family functioning, marital adjustment, social supports, stress, coping, and parental involvement. Structural equation modeling was used to test the predictive ability of family variables. Two different models were developed for mothers and fathers. Results indicated significant outcomes for both groups, largely supporting the proposed model. The coping variable emerged as a significant predictor of maternal and paternal involvement as well as a mediator variable between family functioning and parental involvement.

Evaluation of an intervention system for parents of children with intellectual disability and challenging behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Signposts is a flexible intervention system for families of children who have intellectual disability and challenging behaviour. The Signposts materials include eight information booklets, a workbook and videotape for parents, and a series of instructional manuals for therapists. The system was designed so that it can be delivered in several different ways, i.e. group support, telephone support and self-directed modes. METHODS: The present study was an evaluation of these three modes of delivery and involved 115 families. RESULTS: Following the use of the Signposts materials in parent training programmes, the subjects reported that they were less stressed, felt more efficacious about managing their children's behaviour, were less hassled about meeting their own needs and that their children's behaviour had improved. Additionally, families generally reported high levels of satisfaction with the content and delivery of the materials. CONCLUSIONS: Finally, there were minimal differences among the three modes of delivery on the measures used, although families who used the self-directed mode were less likely to complete the materials. Implications of these results for service delivery are discussed.