The Effect of Stress Management Training with Cognitive Behavioral Style on Stress and Mental Health of Parents of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Objective The birth and presence of a child with mental-retardation in any family causes stress, hopelessness,and disappointment, as well as social, economic, and emotional problems. These problems lead to mentalhealth reduction and using inefficient approaches in family. This research aimed to study the effect of educationon mental health and stress rate. Also, it examined the effect of several styles of contrasting stress andstress management program on decreasing stress of parents with mentally-retarded children. Materials & Methods Parents of children with intellectual disabilities in Rafsanjan, Iran (2 health centers) completedHarry stress inventory (HIS) and general health questionnaire (GHQ). A total of 60 couples with highscores in these tests were selected and randomly assigned into 2 groups. Experimental group passed stressmanagement course in 6 sessions for 3 weeks (two sessions per week). The educational contents in 6 sessionswere as follows: teaching pathology, semiology, and mental health to parents, then 4 ways of therapeuticapproaches of opposition, evasion, continence, and social support, and finally problem solving and practicingthose skills. Control group did not receive any treatment. After final session, and then 1 month later, 2 groupscompleted GHQ and HIS (posttest and follow up). Data were analyzed with repeated measures test. Results Average scores of stress rate in pretest and posttest in the experimental group had a significant difference(P=0.001), but this difference was not significant in follow up test (P=0.659). Average scores of mentalhealth in pretest and posttest of experimental group had significant difference (P=0.001), but this differencewas not significant in follow up test (P=0.646). With regard to different aspects of general health, the differencebetween mean scores of physical signs and depressive signs in pretest and posttest of intervention groupwas significant (P