The effect of family psychoeducation therapy on stress of families with intellectual disability children at special school

Abstract

This study aims to determine the effect of family psychoeducation on parent stress caring for intellectual disability children. The study used a quasiexperimental pre-post-test design with a control group. The sample included 60 mothers with mentally retarded children, who were selected using purposive sampling technique to participate in nursing intervention and family psychoeducation therapy, with 30 mothers in the control group, and 30 in the intervention group. The criteria of sampling included parents or primary family caregivers who care for intellectual disability children and schools in SLB-C Depok city, take direct care and live in one house with children with intellectual disability, and read and write and communicate well. The questionnaire consisted of respondent demographic data and the family stress scale (Z=0.715 on the stress scale). To analyse the data, t-test dependent tests were use because all data were normally distributed. The results showed that nursing intervention and family psychoeducation therapy can reduce parents' stress level in caring for intellectual disability children (pvalue < 0.005). The combination of nursing intervention and FPE had a great impact on mother capability to face their stress.