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Abstract
Background: Caregivers of children with learning disabilities have been shown to experience increased stress and greater negative caregiving consequences than those with typically developing children. There remains a lack of studies focusing on stress and coping mechanisms among caregivers of a wider age group and diagnosis of individuals with disabilities in Asian countries. The current study examines levels of perceived stress and associated child and caregiver factors among caregivers of children with learning disabilities in the Malaysian context. An additional aim was to determine whether caregiver coping styles may be predictors of perceived stress. Methods: The Malay version of the Perceived Stress Scale with 10 items and the Brief COPE Scale were administered to a sample of 190 Malay caregivers of children with learning disabilities registered with community-based rehabilitation centres in Kelantan, a state in Peninsular Malaysia. Multiple linear regression analysis was applied to determine the predictors of perceived stress. Results: The mean total perceived stress score of caregivers was 16.96 (SD = 4.66). The most frequently used coping styles found among caregivers included religion, acceptance and positive reframing, while substance use and behavioural disengagement were least frequently used. Higher perceived stress was significantly predicted among caregivers with fewer children, frequent use of instrumental support and behavioural disengagement coping, and lack of emotional support and religious coping. Conclusion: Findings indicate that the perceived stress levels among caregivers were significantly predicted by different coping styles. It is vital to help the caregivers improve their good coping styles in order to reduce their stress levels.
Keywords: stress, coping styles, parents, caregivers, children, disabilities
Introduction
Many terms and definitions are used globally to describe children or adults with learning disabilities. In the United States (USA), there are three influential definitions of learning disability: Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 1997; National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) 1997; and the definition of the Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities (CLD) 1988 (1). Lerner (1) concluded from a review of the three definitions that they have several common elements: (i) central nervous system dysfunction; (ii) uneven growth pattern and psychological processing deficits; (iii) difficulty in academic and learning tasks; (iv) discrepancy between achievement and potential; and (v) the exclusion of other causes such as mental retardation, emotional disturbance,...