STRESS AND RESILIENCE AMONG SIBLINGS OF CHILDERN WITH PHYSICAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to study the relationship between stress and resilience among the siblings of children with physical and intellectual disabilities. Role of various demographics variable (age, gender, education, monthly income, parental attachment, and academic achievement, social support of participant, and age, gender, education type of disability, of brother/sister) is also explored in stress and resilience. The Stress Scale for Sibling of Children with Disability (Rauf, 2006) was modified and used as per the requirement of the present study. State Resilience scale (Kauser & Jabeen, 2009) was used to measure resilience. The study was conducted in two phases Pilot Study and main study. Pilot Study (N = 30) was conducted to study psychometric properties of the measures. The sample of Main Study was comprised of 198 siblings of children with different disabilities (103 female and 95 male siblings). Including groups of 57 siblings of children with intellectual disability and 141 siblings of children with physical disability. Results showed sound psychometric properties of measures used. Pearson Correlation, t-test, ANOVA, and hierarchical regression were computed to test the hypothesis. Results of the study showed nonsignificant relationship between stress and resilience. Stress reflected as blame and physical symptoms where gave in siblings of children with intellectual disability as compared to the other domains of stress. Female siblings face more stress as compared to male siblings in intellectual disability group. Siblings of sister with disabilities face more stress as compared to the brother with disability. Most significant correlation of resilience is birth order and family size having negative relationship. Father education and family’s monthly income appeared consistent negative correlation with stress and its domain. Anger as indicates of stress is significantly related to demographic variables in physical disability group.