Effect of Guidance for Stress Management in Mothers of Physically Challenged Children

A family with a physically challenged child faces social isolation, stigma, self-blame, guilt, financial problems and disruption of household routines and social activities. Mothers especially those of physically challenged children, experience a great deal of stress, which leads to feelings of anxiety, and insecurity in them. Mothers also have needs for looking after their physically challenged child, such as personal safety, development of basic behavioral skills, care giving needs, and autonomy in making choices for decision making, intellectual stimulation, and creative opportunities. In addition, mothers have emotional needs of feelings of security, respect, appreciation and a sense of achievement as well as social needs for affiliation and acceptance. Lack of satisfaction of these needs results in frustration, anxiety, stress, which would further affect the mother’s behavior towards the child. Mothers of physically challenged children showed more emotional stress, felt more burnt out, were more self-critical, and tended to reach out for social support more than others, in the process of adaptation. Specific behavior problems associated with the behavioral phenotype of a syndrome also influence the level of maternal stress (Gosch, 2001). Like all parents, parents of children with physically handicap children would have hopes, ambition, and expectations from their child. When these dreams are disrupted, they are disappointed and this increases their level of stress and frustration. Guidance is a kind of specialized service, which is given to individuals to help them solve problems of a crucial nature.