Relationship of Parent-Child Stress with Cochlear Implanted Children’s Developmental Skills

Abstract

Objective One of the treatments that have been proposed recently for deaf children is cochlear implant.\rIt is a new technology and an accepted treatment for children with hearing impairment. In recent years,\rresearchers have paid special attention to the family and its relationship with the developmental skills of\rchildren with hearing loss. Clinical experience has also shown that emotional performance and psychological\rproblems of the caregiver can have unfavorable effects on cochlear implanted children’s developmental\rskills. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship\rof parent-child stress with developmental skills of children with cochlear implants.\rMaterials & Methods The present study was a correlational study that was conducted in 2015. The study\rpopulation comprised all children undergone cochlear implant surgery in Al-Zahra Hospital of Isfahan.\rOut of them, 57 participants (34 boys and 23 girls) were selected randomly. To evaluate the research\rvariables, the Parenting Stress Index, Leiter International Performance Scale, the Vineland Social Maturity\rScale, the Language Development Scale, and the Cochlear Implanted Children’s Communication\rPerformance Scale were used. The data of the research were analyzed using descriptive statistics as well\ras correlational and regression analysis methods. SPSS version 22 was used for data analysis.\rResults The results of analyzing data indicated that there is a negative (reverse) significant correlation\rbetween parent-child stress and language development (-0.59), social development (-0.38), and communication\rdevelopment (-0.54) of children (P≤0.01). According to regression analysis investigating the\rexplanation of language development (criterion variable) based on parent-child stress (predictive variables),\rthe coefficient of determination equals to 0.34 (R2=0.34) and thus, 34% of the variance in the\rdependent variable (language development) are explained via parent-child stress. Also, in explaining the\rsocial development (criterion variable) based on parent-child stress (predictive variables), the coefficient\rof determination equals to 0.14 (R2=0.14) and thus, 14% of the variance in the dependent variable (social\rdevelopment) are explained via parent-child stress. Also, in explaining communication function (criterion\rvariable) based on parent-child stress (predictive variables), the coefficient of determination equals to\r0.29 (R2=0.29) and thus, 29% of the variance in the dependent variable (communication function) are\rexplained via parent-child stress.\rConclusion The results of this study showed that parent-child stress had a significant effect on developmental\rskills of children with cochlear implants. Due to the importance of developmental skills in\rchildren with cochlear implants, the results of this study warned the need to provide counseling and psychological\rsupport for this group of parents. Accordingly, the programs should be offered in the form of\rworkshops for mothers of these children. Also, psychologists and family counselors and experts in family\rtherapy are recommended to have special attention to the role of stress in parent-child relationships in\rtreatment programs and training.