Stress und Coping bei Eltern von Kindern mit externalisierenden Verhaltensauffälligkeiten, Down-Syndrom und angemessener Entwicklung: Welche Rolle spielt das dyadische Coping?

Abstract

Background: Coping in parents with a higher stress level has been a neglected research topic so far. Method. Multivariate analyses of variance are computed to compare stress and coping between three groups of parents (N = 150) of a 6- to 14-year-old child (43 couples of a normally developed child, 53 parents of a child with Down syndrome and 54 parents of a child with externalizing behavior problems). Results: Parents of a child with Down syndrome reported more family related stress and stress with regard to social isolation, but reported also the highest scores of dyadic coping. Parents of a child with externalizing behavior problems perceived more parenting stress, psychological distress and a lack of dyadic coping. Conclusion: Dyadic coping reveals to be an important issue in parent's coping with daily hassles.