Prediction of General Mental Health Based on esilience in Adolescent Siblings of Students with Intellectual Disabilities in Shiraz in the Academic Year 2011- 2012

This study aims at predicting the general mental health based on resilience in adolescent siblings of students with intellectual disabilities. The present study is an applied research conducted by correlational methodology. The statistical population of this research includes all the adolescent (12–18 year-old) siblings of students with intellectual disabilities in Shiraz city in the academic year 2011–2012. The sample size is 91 adolescent (50 females and 41 males) siblings selected by random cluster sampling. Conner & Davidson resilience scale was applied to measure the resilience of siblings, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ 28) was used for measuring mental health disorders. The data were analyzed by using multiple regression test, which show that resilience is a significant negative predictor of symptoms of somatic disorder, anxiety, social dysfunction and depression (p<0/01). These findings are indicative of the role and importance of resilience in mental health of siblings of students with intellectual disabilities. Therefore, in order to increase the mental health of adolescents, who have siblings with intellectual disabilities, resilience training programs should be designed and implemented as a pre-emptive action.