ESTRESSE PARENTAL EM MÃES DE BEBÊS, CRIANÇAS, ADOLESCENTES E ADULTOS JOVENS COM SÍNDROME DE DOWN

Abstract

The presence of a child with Down syndrome makes it difficult to adapt to the related process of care. The visibility of disability, emotional problems, behavioral difficulties and the weak health of the child may be a factor stressful. The stress experienced by parents in their roles of father and mother, is called parental stress. The objective of this study was to identify the level of parental stress in mothers of infants, children, adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome. It is an analytical crosssectional study with 36 mothers of children with Down syndrome, who responded to the Parental Stress Index (PSI), the Associations of Parents and Friends of Exceptional of Goiania and Down Association of Goias. The IEP is divided into three subscales: parental distress, dysfunctional interactions between children and parent-child difficult. Mothers who have children with Down syndrome have higher stress levels than mothers to have children with typical development. Stress subscale was higher in dysfunctional interactions between parents and children. Mothers with older children had higher levels of stress, showing that the care of these children has a greater impact on the health of mothers. Health professionals need to be attentive to the needs of mothers and develop intervention strategies that address the family as a whole.