Effectiveness of Instructing Stress Coping Strategies to Mothers of Children with Mental Disability on their Mental Health and Parenting Stress

The purpose the current study was to investigate the effectiveness of stress coping strategies to mothers of children with mental disability in enhancing their mental health and also reducing their parenting stress. 30 mothers of children with mental disability were selected using at-hand samplings, and were divided into control and experimental groups (15 mothers in each). Both groups filled the Parenting Stress Index and General Health Questioner. In the next step the experimental group recieved stress coping strategies in nine sessions while the control group continu their normal procedures. At the end of the instructional sessions both groups filled out the mentioned questioners as the post test. Result of the analysis of covariance showed that Stress coping strategies improved the mental health (p<0/05) and also Result of the analysis of covariance showed significant decrease in parenting stress (p<0/05) among the mothers of the experimental group in comparison with the control group. Findings show that stress management training methods to mothers, decline mental health problems and reduce stress in a relationship between parent and child.