Prevalence and determinants of need for formal parenting support among parents raising a child with a borderline to mild intellectual disability

Abstract

Background Raising children with borderline to mild intellectual disability (BMID) and psychosocial problems may yield a strong need for support among parents, but evidence for this is lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of need for parenting support in this population, and the child and parent characteristics that influence this need.

Method We obtained data from parents of 944 children aged 5–12 years with BMID (IQ 50–85) in the Netherlands: 134 (14.2%) of these parents had a need for parenting support.

Results The results of multiple regression analyses revealed that parenting stress and child psychosocial problems, adjusted for age and gender of the child, were associated with a need for parenting support.

Conclusions One in seven parents with a child with BMID has a need for parenting support. Determinants associated with a need for parenting support are parenting stress and child psychosocial problems.

Keywords:

• children
• borderline to mild intellectual disability
• parenting support
• need