Coping Strategies and Resolution in Mothers of Children With Cerebral Palsy

ABSTRACT

“Parental resolution” represents parents coming to terms with their child’s health condition. Differences in the use of coping strategies between mothers who were resolved versus unresolved to their child’s diagnosis was investigated, and a possible moderating effect of these strategies was explored. A strategy aimed at mobilizing the family to acquire and accept help (institutional, formal support) was shown to be a significant moderating variable, in a way that its more frequent use allowed mothers of children with better functional status (but not mothers of children with poorer functional status) to reach resolution.

KEYWORDS:

• Adaptation
• cerebral palsy
• coping strategies
• resolution
• stress

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tatjana Krstić

Tatjana Krstić, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Special Rehabilitation and Education, Serbia. She also works as a clinical psychologist at the Institute for Child and Youth Health Care of Vojvodina, Novi Sad. Her main research areas include resolution of diagnosis and coping with stress in the context of chronic illness and developmental disability. She developed a support program for parents of children with developmental disability.

Ljiljana Mihić

Ljiljana Mihić, PhD, is an associate professor at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology, Serbia. She completed her doctoral work in clinical psychology at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. Her research focuses on stress and cognitive vulnerability to depression and anxiety. Her most recent line of work is in experimental psychopathology. She coauthored the Canadian Guidelines for Seniors’ Mental Health Issues in Long-Term Care.

Marina Oros

Marina Oros, PhD, is a student and research assistant at the University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology. Her primary fields of research are developmental psychology and psychopathology. Currently, she is mostly working on psychological evaluation of the use of robots as assistive technology in rehabilitation therapy of children with developmental disabilities.