Parenting Styles, Coping Strategies and Life Satisfaction of Parents Having Children with Down Syndrome

Abstract

The present study explores the relationship among Parenting styles, Coping Strategies and Life Satisfaction of parents having children with Down syndrome. Purposive sampling and comparative study were used to select the sample. A sample consisted of (N=100) parents mothers and fathers of Down syndrome children were taken from different government and private institutes of Faisalabad. The sample was further divided into (n=50) mothers and (n=50) fathers of Down syndrome children. The age range of participants was taken 30-55 years above. Parenting Styles Dimension Questionnaire (PSDQ) translated Urdu version by (Batool, 2013). Coping Response Inventory (CRI) translated Urdu version by (Mahmood & Sheraz, 2012) and Life satisfaction scale (LSS) Urdu version translated by (Mahmood, 2013) were used for data collection. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Independent Sample T-Test were calculated for statistical analysis. Findings indicates that male parents of Down syndrome children scored high on Authoritative and permissive parenting styles and it’s also showed that male parents of Down syndrome children have scored high on  the scale of approach  coping styles .Through that study it indicates that male parents use more approach coping styles than female parents. And male parents are equally satisfied with their lives. This study aims to use effective coping strategies and parenting styles to improve the quality of life of parents of those who are having children with disability. It also aims to increase the role of the clinical psychologist in the treatment of those children who are suffering from disability or psychological illness and also psycho educate parents those are directly or indirectly taking pain of their children.