Analysis of stress factors and Adjustmental mechanisms towards these factors in parents of mentally retarded children in their special school in Sari in 1997

Background and

The families who take care of their mentally retarded children are faced with numerous problems. These problems are varied correspondingly with the degree of redardation, physical disability and the excitement associated with it, interests, values and other external conditions of members. Regarding the importance of this subject, in order to determine the stress factors and adjustment mechanisms in the parents of mentally retarded children, this study was conducted.

 descriptive study done on 98 parents of mentally retarded children. Sampling was done by census.

The findings showed three domains of stress factors. The highest level of stress in the social domin in mother and father was 62% and 54% respectively. The highest level of adjustment related to the psychological domin in mother and father was 58% and 61% respectively. Ôn the basis of relationship between stress factors and parental demographic variants, there were relationship between the level of education, occupational status of parents, marital status, the duration of marriage, number of mentally retarded Çhildren, age of mentally retarded children and the time of diagnosis of mental retardation and the stress factors. There were also relationship between adjustment mechanisms with parental demographic variants such as occupational status, duration of marriage, the number of mentally retarded children, the sex of mentally retarded children. and the duration of the education of children. Çonclusion: Âccording to the results, we could say that the level of stress in mothers is more than the fathers, and it was shown that fathers have more adjustmental abilities as compare to mothers.