Author: Nancy Nereo, Robert Fee, and Veronica Hinton
Source: JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY Volume 28, Number 7, pages 473-484, 2003
OBJECTIVE:
This study was performed to better understand the stress reported by mothers of boys who have duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).
METHODS:
Data from 127 boys with DMD and their mothers were collected, using the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (completed by the mothers), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (a measure of verbal IQ in the boys), and the Child Behavior Checklist (a measure of problem behaviors noted by the mothers). In cases where there was another child/sibling, data about that child?s verbal IQ and problem behaviors was also collected from the mother. Finally, these data were compared to findings from a group of mothers of non-disabled children, and mothers of children who had cerebral palsy (CP).
RESULTS:
The average parental stress score reported by mothers of boys with DMD was greater than that of mothers who had typically developing children, but was the same as mothers who had a child with CP. Stress caused by boys with DMD was not significantly greater than stress caused by their non-disabled siblings.
Unlike the other two groups, the mothers of children with DMD reported higher parent-child dysfunctional interaction scores, and higher ?difficult child? behavior scores.
The levels of maternal stress reported by the mothers of boys with DMD were related to low child verbal IQ, higher ?difficult child? scores, and higher scores of parent-child dysfunction.
CONCLUSIONS:
The authors felt that, while mothers of boys with DMD reported more stress than mothers of typically developing boys (DMD occurs almost exclusively in boys), this stress was more likely due to increased problem behaviors than the physical demands of the condition. Therefore, coping styles and parental adjustment might have more of an effect on parental stress than disease severity. They suggested that support services for parents and social skills training for children would help reduce parental stress in families of children with chronic conditions and improve family functioning.
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