The psychological burden of caring for children with intellectual disabilities as experienced by care workers

Abstract

Background: Intellectual disability limits the child’s ability to perform activities of daily living independently. The disability is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects cognitive functioning such as learning, problem-solving, and judgement, plus adaptive functioning such as communication and social participation. At home, children depend on primary caregivers to assist them in fulfilling activities of daily living. When admitted to hospitals, such responsibilities lie with care workers. Caring for children with intellectual disabilities might put the psychological being of care workers at risk. Little is known about the psychological burden of caring for children with intellectual disabilities. The study explored and described the psychological burden of caring for children with intellectual disabilities as experienced by care workers. Methods: A qualitative-exploratory-descriptive and contextual research design was used. The participants were care workers at hospitals admitting children with intellectual disabilities in Gauteng. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 care workers. Data were audio-recorded and analysed using content analysis and ATLAS ti. Results: The following two psychological burdens emerged; namely, stress and emotional trauma. The long-term strategies to manage stress and emotional trauma were further recommended to improve the working environment of care workers. Conclusion:The study found that care workers of children with intellectual disabilities experience psychological burdens associated with caring, as evidenced by stress and emotional trauma experienced by care workers. Long-term strategies such as problem-focused coping approaches and adaptive coping strategies were recommended. If applied, recommendations will improve the health conditions of care workers. Findings will further assist future researchers who are aiming to develop programmes of support for care workers.