Association between the type of child’s disability, socio-economic status, experience of parental stress and intimate relationship satisfaction

Cilj istraživanja bio je ispitati razliku u roditeljskom stresu i zadovoljstvu partnerskim odnosom s obzirom na vrstu teškoće djeteta te povezanost roditeljskog stresa i zadovoljstva partnerskim odnosom sa socio-ekonomskim statusom. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 248 ispitanika koji su u partnerskom odnosu i žive u istom kućanstvu s partnerom/partnericom te su roditelji maloljetnog djeteta s dijagnosticiranom teškoćom u razvoju. Istraživanje se provodilo online putem, metodom kriterijskog uzorkovanja. Istraživanjem je potvrđena razlika u doživljaju roditeljskog stresa s obzirom na vrstu teškoće gdje se pokazalo da roditelji djece s višestrukim teškoćama i poremećajem iz spektra autizma pokazuju najveću razinu roditeljskog stresa, a roditelji djece s jezično-govorno-glasovnim teškoćama pokazuju najmanju razinu stresa. Nadalje, utvrđena je i razlika u zadovoljstvu vezom s obzirom na vrstu teškoće gdje je dobiveno da su roditelji djece s jezično-govorno-glasovnim teškoćama najviše zadovoljni, a roditelji djece s intelektualnim teškoćama najmanje zadovoljni partnerskim odnosom. Istraživanjem nije potvrđena povezanost socio-ekonomskog statusa roditelja s roditeljskim stresom i razinom zadovoljstva partnerskim odnosom. Rezultati istraživanja daju smjernice za rad stručnjaka: roditelje je važno poticati na komunikaciju, vrijeme za sebe, usmjeriti ih na grupe podrške te ih uputiti na načine suočavanja sa stresom, ali i načine kako prilagoditi i održati uspješan partnerski odnos.The aim of the study was to examine the difference in parental stress and intimate relationship satisfaction with regard to the type of child’s disability, and investigate the association between parental stress and intimate relationship satisfaction and socio-economic status. The study involved 248 participants, parents of a minor child diagnosed with a developmental disorder, being in a relationship and living in the same household with a partner. The research was conducted online, using a criteria sampling method. The results confirm the hypothesis regarding the difference in parental stress with respect to the type of child’s disability: parents of children with multiple disabilities and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder show the highest level of parental stress, while parents of children with language-speech-voice difficulties show the lowest stress level. Furthermore, results show a difference in relationship satisfaction with regard to the type of child’s disability: parents of children with language-speech-voice disorders are the most satisfied, while the parents of children with intellectual disabillities are the least satisfied with their intimate relationship. The research did not confirm the association between socio-economic status and parental stress and relationship satisfaction. The results of the study provide useful guidelines for professionals: parents should be encouraged to communicate, have more free time, seek help from support groups and learn useful coping mechanisms, as well as useful mechanisms to maintain a stable and satisfactory intimate relationship