Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Related Variables in Families of Children with Disabilities

Year 2017, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 111 - 127, 31.12.2017

Seray Olcay Gul , Avsar Ardic , Burcu Olgunsoylu , Yesim Unal

https://doi.org/10.20489/intjecse.375107

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects and relationships
of variables related to the children with disabilities and their parents as
well as the diagnosis process and informing parents after the diagnosis and
variables which might be related to the traumatic stress levels of the parents
of children with disabilities on parents’ traumatic stress levels. This study
which was conducted as relational research included a total of 347 parents of
children with disabilities. Data collection forms included personal information
form, Traumatic Stress Symptom Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived
Social Support. The results showed that traumatic stress levels of parents of
children with physical impairments were higher than other parents, there was a
significant relationship between the time passed after the diagnosis and
parents’ traumatic stress levels; there was significant relationship between
the parents’ age and parents’s traumatic stress levels; parents’ traumatic
stress levels didn’t differ in terms of gender; traumatic stress levels of
single parents were higher than married parents.

Keywords

Children with disabilities, parents, posttraumatic stress symptoms

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