Psychological Well Being Among Parents Of Children With Disabilities

Abstract

A disability is a mental or physical impairment which significantly restricts one or more vital activities of daily functioning. In India, over 17% of people between the ages of 10 and 19 have a disability, with children making up 1.24% of this population (0 6 years). The complexities of caring for a child with disability, navigating complicated healthcare systems, financial pressure, and social stigma can all contribute to parents experiencing elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. These challenges can have profound effects on parental wellbeing and overall quality of life. The present research aimed to measure and compare the levels of psychological well being among parents of children with disability in speech, hearing and mental functions along with the association between demographic variables and PWB in Belagavi District, Karnataka. The sample size comprised of 192 participants and the research tool used was Psychological Well being Scale developed by Dr. Devendra Singh Sisodia and Ms. Pooja Choudhary. Percentage method, chi square and one way ANOVA were used in the study. The findings revealed that 98.44% of parents showed moderate level of PWB and only 1.56% showed high PWB, and no significant difference among parents of children with disabilities in speech, hearing and mental function was observed. Furthermore, findings also revealed that education level and marital status were significantly associated with PWB.