Dealing with chronic stress: Coping strategies, self-esteem and service use in mothers of handicapped children

Abstract

The coping responses of a group of mothers to the stress of rearing a handicapped child were examined by a series of self-report measures. The mothers were all engaged in an early intervention programme targeted at teaching skills to the children, and it was hypothesised that this facility also would provide support for the mothers, possibly enhancing their coping abilities. Coping was defined in terms of cognitive appraisal of personal resources and the differences between those mothers living singly and those in cohabiting relationships were investigated. The pattern that emerged indicated a clear tendency for those mothers living singly and suffering from discernible lower self-esteem and psychological distress to endorse significantly more poor coping strategies and also to rate the intervention service less positively. These findings were validated by ratings of the mothers by the teachers involved in the training of their children on the intervention scheme.