There are many facets of a person's mental health and there is a growing interest in researching the factors that may impact a caregiver's mental health.

Cedarville University

The impact on the health and quality of life of caregivers of children with disabilities varies on many factors including:

- sociodemographic backgrounds

- disability-factors

- psychosocial variables

How Quality of Life (QOL) varies between Caregivers of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Sociodemographic factors can greatly influence the living conditions and QOL of caretakers and their disabled children. Families with disabled children face a greater financial burden than families with non-disabled children. Providing the basic necessities for these children is more costly, so it creates financial pressure.





Sociodemographic Factors

The impact caretaking has on the caretaker can be dependent on the child's illness. This can include health-related quality of life (HRQOL) outcomes and psychological problems. 


Types of Disability

Being a parent of a child with significant behavioral problems can negatively impact on parental mental health. Literature has shown that behavioral and functioning aspects of a child's disability are associated with impacting the caregiver's health. Problematic and challenging behaviors in the children with developmental disabilities are a main source of stress for caregivers.

Child Behavioral Problems

Some factors that can ifluence a caretaker's HRQOL include care dependency, hours of sleep, and diaper care during daytime are significant indicators of HRQOL in caregivers. Another significant factor is the long term dependence of the child on their caregiver, as many children with DD may be dependent on their parents for the rest of their lives.

Child Functioning and HRQOL Predictions

- There are a number of psychosocial factors that mediate and moderate HRQOL outcomes for caretakers including coping strategies,  social support, parenting stress, self-efficacy, and self esteem. 
 - Mediators explain why effects occur while moderators explain under what conditions certain events will hold.
 - These factors may be more powerful than other factors like sociodemographic factors and child functioning.


How Psychosocial Factors Mediate and Moderate HRQOL Outcomes

Caretakers use a broad range of coping strategies and some have been proven to be more successful than others. Research is unconclusive as to why certain caretakers manage to cope with their children's disabilities better than others. Significant interactions have been found between coping styles and child maladaptive behavior and their impact in determining maternal depression, well-being, and anger. 

Caretakers and Coping Strategies 

Self-efficacy and self-esteem have been shown as important predictors of QOL in caregivers. Studies show that parents with higher self-efficacy show better mental and physical health, a better relationship with their environment, and a decrease in anxiety. Positive self-esteem was also shown to be the strongest predictor of subject well-being

Self Esteem and Self Efficacy in Caregivers

- Respite services have been commonly identified as the most helpful service received
- Show to prevent and/or lesson burnout and caregiver stress
- It has a positive impact on emotional wellbeing and physical strains
  - Important for the entire family unit


The Impact of Respite

- Research has shown that parents of children with DD have poorer physical health
- Examples: Poor sleep, headaches, increased risk for hypertension, increased risk of infection
- Poor physiological functioning may be a cause
  - This association is driven by social support and child problem behaviors
  -  Not enough research related to coping styles

Physical Health of Caretakers of those with DD

Many stressors of raising a child with an IDD are inherent. These include behavioral problems, high demands of caretakers, the stigma associated with being a parent to a child with an IDD, and financial strain. Consequently, parents of children may have an increased vulnerability to anxiety and depression.

Main Stressors of Parents of Children with IDD

Research presents evidence of a positive relationship between being a parent of a child with an IDD and having depression and anxiety. This is consistent across different disability types. This may be higher in mothers than fathers as a result of higher caregiver responsibilities or  response bias.

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