The influence of a child's disability on mother's role functioning and psychological well-being

We assessed the influences of specific characteristics of a child with a disability on a mother's role functioning and psychological well-being in 112 mother-child dyads. Children were teenagers and young adults (aged 13-26) with chronically disabling conditions enrolled in day treatment programs; mothers ranged in age from 33 to 68 years. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the mothers regarding their psychological and social functioning. Information regarding the children's disabling condition was available from their treatment centers. Results of a path analysis indicated that various aspects of a disabled child's condition indirectly affected mother's psychological functioning via a direct effect on mother's role functioning. Intervention efforts could be targeted toward mother's role functioning and specific child characteristics (i.e., physical limitations and emotional/behavioral adjustment).