[P1-5] Development of a Parenting Resilience Questionnaire of Caregivers Rearing Children with Developmental Disorders
Caregivers of children with developmental disorders (DD) tend to experience psychological distress and face higher risk of depression. Presence of a DD is related to behavioral problems, which is associated with overreactive and aggressive parenting behavior by caregivers. On the other hand, it is suggested that caregivers of children with DD have positive perceptions and experiences of rearing their child. In the present study, a parenting resilience questionnaire was developed to measure the degree to which primary caregivers possess elements relating to parenting resilience. Parenting resilience was defined as the process of positive adaptation to difficulties with rearing children with DD. A total of 424 parents of children with DD were recruited from medical institutes in Japan. Psychometric properties of parenting resilience questionnaire were evaluated using data of 363 mothers. Furthermore, multiple regression analysis was performed, predicting depressive symptoms and parenting behavior with parenting resilience questionnaire subscales, a general health questionnaire, and the total difficulties score of a strength and difficulties questionnaire. Factor analysis revealed three reliable factors: “knowledge of the child’s characteristics,” “perceived social supports,” and “positive perceptions of parenting.” Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that “knowledge of the child’s characteristics” was associated with parenting behavior, whereas “perceived social supports” predicted depressive symptoms; “positive perceptions of parenting” influenced both parenting behavior and depressive symptoms. These findings indicated that the parenting resilience questionnaire may be used as a scale measuring resiliency in mothers of children with DD and is useful for evaluating their parenting ability in clinical interventions.