Psychosocial Impact and Parental Stress in Families of Children With Severe Neurological Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective To examine the psychosocial impact and parental stress associated with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities in children, with a particular focus on the relationships between parental response styles and family stress and impact.

Design A descriptive, cross-sectional, prospective study was conducted.

Methods The study included parents of children with neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities. Participants completed the Family Management Style Framework, Parenting Stress Index, and Parental Response Style Questionnaire. In addition, clinical characteristics related to psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were collected via parent-reported questionnaire items and analysed as categorical variables.

Results One hundred parents participated in the survey, with data from 100 children analysed. Discomfort and Stress showed positive and significant relationships with all the factors of the Parental Response Style Questionnaire, except for Overprotection, while the Family Management Style Framework subscales did so with the Apathy/dysphoria. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders were significantly associated with higher levels of parental stress and family impact.

Conclusions Families of children with intellectual disabilities face substantial challenges that affect family functioning and daily activities. The presence and clinical complexity of psychological or psychiatric problems and conduct disorders emerged as key clinical characteristics associated with increased parental stress and family impact. Given the cross-sectional design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as associative, and no causal, directional, or temporal inferences can be drawn.

Impact Parents provided critical insights into the challenges of caring for children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities, contributing to a better understanding of family dynamics and stress-related factors. Identifying relevant clinical characteristics may help nurses and other health professionals tailor family-centred interventions.

Reporting Method This paper is reported according to the STROBE Statement.

Patient or Public Contribution Parents of children with severe neurological disorders and intellectual disabilities were the subjects of data collection for this study and participated in the survey after providing voluntary consent to participate.