“Parenting to institutionalized children with special needs: Caregivers’ stress and coping strategies”

• Main Author: Villanueva, Lhynettskie C.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2022
• Subjects: Stress management; Orphanages; Caregivers > Job stress; Special Education and Teaching
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etdm_elmd/31; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/etdm_elmd/article/1033/viewcontent/_Parenting_to_Institutionalized_Children_with_Special_Needs__Care.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Children rely on their caregivers for emotional support and intellectual stimulation. Because of the usual large group sizes in institutional and residential care, children in orphanages receive less attention and less stimulation from a consistent and sensitive caregiver. There are many factors that affect the quality of care the child receives, and one of it is the stress the caregivers experience. Thus, this exploratory case study explored the contributing factors that add to caregivers’ stress and their management in handling it. 30 initial respondents composed of caregivers of institutionalized children with special needs—aged 8 or below—agreed to be included in the study. By answering the job stress inventory and brief cope, results suggest that institution caregivers are experiencing high stress with common contributing factors are work overload and value conflict. While selfdistraction is the commonly used coping strategy and least stressed use is social support and expression of feeling. 5 of those who scored highest and 5 who scored with lowest stress were interviewed to look for common themes that contribute or lessen their stress. Using the qualitative analysis, results show that caregivers experiencing lower levels of stress have effective coping strategy than their highly stressed colleagues. This study concluded with implications and recommendations for government, institutions, caregivers, communities to better understand how managing stress and having effective coping management is important in improving the quality of care institutional children with special need receives.