Mother's Coping among Primary School Child with Down Syndrome

Abstract

BackgroundDown syndrome (DS) or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. When mothers of DS children experience stress, they use certain strategies to cope with this stress to regulate their emotions.Aim of this study: to assess mother's coping among primary school child with DS. Design: Descriptive study design was used. Setting: The study was conducted at three special needs schools (ALtarbih ELfikria) at Fayoum governorate. Sample: A purposive sample was used, they were 95 mothers, and their children. Tools: First tool structured interviewing questionnaire, to assess characteristics of mothers, children, history of DS child, and to assess mother’s knowledge about DS. Second tool: physical examination sheet for DS children. Third tool: mothers' coping scale. Fourth tool: mothers' needs scale. Results: The study results showed that, three fifths of mothers had negative coping patterns, in which more than two fifths of them never able to cope with their children disability also, study results reported that the economic needs were most important needs for mothers. Conclusion:More than two-thirds of mothers had unsatisfactory knowledge regarding of Down syndrome. Religious and doctrinal coping was the most coping strategy used by mothers, in which more than half of mothers were always able to cope religiously.Recommendation: Provide educational program to parents of children with DS and encourage mothers and fathers to participate in mentoring programs and receive rehabilitation services for their children.