Ecuadorian mothers of preschool children with and without intellectual disabilities: Individual and family dimensions

• Published in: Research in developmental disabilities Vol. 105; p. 103735
• Main Authors: Villavicencio, Carmita E., López-Larrosa, Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2020
• Subjects: Adaptability; Cohesion; Coping; Family satisfaction; Intellectual disabilities; Stress; Cohesion; Family satisfaction; Coping; Intellectual disabilities; Stress; Adaptability
• ISSN: 0891-4222; 1873-3379
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103735

•Scarcity of comparative studies regarding caregiving and Ecuatorian mothers of young children with and without disabilities.•No significant differences between mothers of preschool children with and without IDs in family cohesion, adaptability and satisfaction.•Mothers of children with IDs used more approach coping strategies than mothers of children without IDs.•Mothers of children with IDs felt less stress and more control than mothers of children without IDs.•Higher family satisfaction was related to higher family cohesion and adaptability, more approach coping and less avoidant coping strategies. Approximately 71,454 children younger than 5 years old have a disability in Ecuador. Our objective was to compare and relate family cohesion, adaptability, coping, perceived stress, and control with family satisfaction of Ecuadorian mothers of preschool children with and without intellectual disabilities (ID). Participants were 384 Ecuadorian mothers: 111 had a child with ID and 273had a child without ID. The FACES II, Family Satisfaction Scale and Moos Coping Response Inventory were used. No significant differences were found between mothers of children with and without intellectual disabilities on their perceptions of family cohesion, adaptability or family satisfaction. Mothers of children with ID perceived less stress and more control over their children and adopted more approach coping strategies compared to mothers of children without ID. The mothers ‘family satisfaction was positively related to approach coping strategies and to family cohesion and adaptability, and negatively related to avoidant coping strategies—regardless of whether their children had a disability or not. These data are in accordance with an adaptive approach to disability and emphasise the capacity of individuals and families to cope.