PERCEIVED STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG FATHERS AND MOTHERS OF PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED GIRLS

Abstract

Background: Physical disability of a female child by birth or by some injury in a family is very challenging for the parents and siblings. Present study is an attempt to explore the role of Perceived Stress and Psychological adjustment among parents of Physically Handicap girls. Objective: to explore the relationship between stress and psychological adjustment among parents of physically handicapped girls. Methodology: The sample consisted of n=40 parents of physically handicapped female children from the Nishtar hospital Multan. Snowball sampling technique was used for data collection. The parents of female physically disable children were included in the study. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) (Cohen et al. 1988)) and Psychological Adjustment Scale were used to measure study variables. Results: There was a negative association between perceived stress and psychological adjustment (r=-0.77, p=0.01) among parents of handicapped girls. Results further suggested through t-test scores that fathers of handicapped girls were high on psychological adjustment as compared to mothers (p=0.01) and mothers were more under stress as compared to fathers (p=0.02). Conclusion: The Fathers and mothers of physically disabled female children are different in term of coping the level of stress as well as the fathers show more psychological adjustment as compare to mothers. Keywords: Disability, psychological Adjustment, Stress.