Stress experienced by mothers of Malaysian children with mental retardation.

Objective: To compare parenting stress among Malaysian mothers of children with mental retardation and a control group, and to determine factors associated with stress.

Methodology: Seventy-five mothers of children with mental retardation aged 4-12 years and 75 controls (those without disabilities who attended the walk-in paediatric clinic) participated in the Parenting Stress Index (PSI). Intelligence quotient (IQ) and Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) scores, together with sociodemographic data, were entered into a multiple stepwise regression analysis, using the PSI as the criterion.

Results: Mothers of children with mental retardation scored significantly higher than control subjects in both the child-related domain (difference between means 26.1, 95% confidence interval 19.6-32.5) and parent-related domain (difference between means 15.0, 95% confidence interval 7.9-22.1) of the PSI. The total child behaviour scores from the CBCL (P < 0.01), IQ scores (P < 0.01) and sibship size (P < 0.01) were associated with child-related domain scores. For the parent-related domain, CBCL (P < 0.01) and IQ scores (P = 0.01) remained important factors but Chinese ethnicity (P < 0.01) and maternal unemployment (P < 0.01) were also significant predictors of stress.

Conclusion: A large proportion of mothers of children with mental retardation experienced substantial parenting stress, especially Chinese and unemployed mothers, and this warrants appropriate intervention.