Psychosocial Impacts of Mentally Retarded Children on Parents in Sudan

Abstract

This study was conducted on a community sample from Khartoum state, Sudan to explore the psychological and social impacts of the mentally retarded child on his/her parents. The study hypothesized that these effects are directly related to the age, number of handicapped children in the family as well as the degree of mental retardation. Methods and population: Seven centers for teaching and training of handicapped children were recruited in Khartoum State. Ninety-one children aged 5-16 years were randomly selected and their intelligence quotient (I.Q) was determined. Interviews for 82 mothers and 64 fathers of these children were held using a standardized anonymous questionnaire including socio-demographic data and information about the psychological and social impacts of the disability of children on their parents. The parents also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess the presence of anxiety and depression. Results and discussion: The parents reported different psychological effects when they realized the children's disability. However, they tend to overcome their problem and become adapted to the situation. Sometimes, problems arise in the marital life and in social participation. The research showed that most parents suffered from degrees of anxiety and depression ranging mainly from severe to moderate. The number, age or degree of retardation of the children did not affect the social and psychological impacts on the parents significantly. The study recommends preventative measures to reduce the factors that lead to mental retardation. It also recommends the provision of rehabilitation services and training of children in schools and special institutes, besides supporting their families psychologically and socially to reduce their burden.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Khartoum State, Sudan: A desktop Situational Analysis

“…As a result, a total of 11 articles were identi ed, as shown and described by study themes in Table 5. Six of the identi ed articles were about trauma and stress-related disorders, two were about neurodevelopmental disorders and disruptive behaviours, and one was about CAMH training in the middle-east region [20,22,[39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Furthermore, 90% (N = 10) of the identi ed research were conducted by Sudanese researchers.…”

The Hubungan Caregiver Burden dengan Kualitas Hidup Caregiver Anak Tunagrahita

“…Hasil penelitian menunjukkan perbedaan terbesar antara kualitas hidup orang tua anak disabilitas intelektual dengan anak normal lainnya terkait dengan fungsi fisik yang menunjukkan skor nilai yang lebih rendah (Dezaki et al, 2018). Kecemasan serta depresi dari kategori sedang sampai berat juga dirasakan oleh orang tua yang merawat anak retardasi mental (Shabo et al, 2011). Stres dalam kategori sedang juga paling banyak dialami oleh orang tua dengan anak retardasi mental (Wahyuningasih et al, 2018).…”

Psychological Suffering of Families, Children with Mental Retardation at Al- Raja Institute for Mental Retardation in Babylon City

“…It often gives rise to severe life long standing disability and imposes heavy burden on the families and carers. (1) Mental Retardation (MR) is defined as a disability characterized by remarkably low intellectual functioning (IQ< 70) in conjunction with significant limitations in adaptive functioning. Worldwide prevalence of mental retardation is reported to be as high as 2.3%.…”