The Effect of Relaxation Training on Reducing Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

Objective: The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of relaxation training on reducing of anxiety and depression in mothers of children with intellectual disabilities. Method: The study was a quasi-experimental research with two heterogeneous groups design with pretest and posttest. First, 20 mothers who were regularly able to participate in the classes of relaxation training were selected as experimental group and then, 20 mothers were also selected as control group via parameters such as the rate of anxiety and depression, literacy level, educational level, and severity of intellectual disabilities in the child. The group exercises of relaxation training have been conducted for experimental group three times a week for 2 months. Data of mothers’ anxiety and depression in both groups were obtained by Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression InventoryII in two stages of pretest and posttest. The data were analyzed with covariance analysis. Results: The findings indicated that relaxation training exercises were effective in decreasing symptoms of both anxiety (P<0.001) and depression (P<0.001) of mothers. Conclusion: Generally, the results indicated that the short-term relaxation training technique designed in this research could reduce anxiety and depression of mentally retarded children's mothers participated in this study.

[1]  G. Bumin,et al.  Özürlü çocuklarýn annelerinde anksiyete, depresyon ve yaþam kalitesi Amaç: Bu çalýþmanýn amacý özürlü çocuklarýn annelerinde anksiyete, depresyon ve yaþam kalitesi arasýndaki iliþkiyi incelemektir. Yöntem: Çalýþma Ankarada 3 ayrý rehabilitasyon merkezinde yapýldý. Çalýþmaya 1 , 2008 .

[2]  M. Ghasemi,et al.  Effects of yoga on depression and anxiety of women. , 2009, Complementary therapies in clinical practice.

[3]  Ngoakoana Emma Pilusa.  The impact of mental retardation on family functioning , 2008 .

[4]  V. Khamis.  Psychological distress among parents of children with mental retardation in the United Arab Emirates. , 2007, Social science & medicine.

[5]  J. Blacher,et al.  Preschool children with intellectual disability: syndrome specificity, behaviour problems, and maternal well-being. , 2005, Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR.

[6]  Kai-Ping Chang,et al.  Boundary ambiguity, coping patterns and depression in mothers caring for children with epilepsy in Taiwan. , 2005, International journal of nursing studies.

[7]  P. Christensen.  The health-promoting family: a conceptual framework for future research. , 2004, Social science & medicine.

[8]  L. Glidden,et al.  Depression: its trajectory and correlates in mothers rearing children with intellectual disability. , 2003, Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR.

[9]  R. Hastings,et al.  Behavior problems of children with autism, parental self-efficacy, and mental health. , 2002, American journal of mental retardation : AJMR.

[10]  C. Hwang,et al.  Depression in mothers and fathers of children with intellectual disability. , 2001, Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR.

[11]  B. Baker,et al.  Expressed emotion, parenting stress, and adjustment in mothers of young children with behavior problems. , 2000, Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines.

[12]  P. Bolton,et al.  Autism, affective and other psychiatric disorders: patterns of familial aggregation , 1998, Psychological Medicine.

[13]  S. Morgan,et al.  Family Stress and Adjustment as Perceived by Parents of Children with Autism or Down Syndrome: Implications for Intervention , 1997 .

[14]  Timothy B. Smith,et al.  Depressive Symptomatology and Interaction Behaviors of Mothers Having a Child with Disabilities , 1993, Psychological reports.

[15]  B. Ryde-Brandt.  Anxiety and Depression in Mothers of Children with Psychotic Disorders and Mental Retardation , 1990, British Journal of Psychiatry.

[16]  Z. Stoneman,et al.  Childcare responsibilities, peer relations, and sibling conflict: older siblings of mentally retarded children. , 1988, American journal of mental retardation : AJMR.

[17]  Y. Lecrubier,et al.  The place of anxiety in depressive symptomatology. , 1983, British journal of clinical pharmacology.

[18]  J. Jamison.  The impact of mental retardation on the family and some directions of help. , 1965, Journal of the National Medical Association.

[19]  A. Asghari,et al.  The Comparison of Psychological Problems Between Parents of Intellectual Disabilities Children and Parents of Normal Children , 2011 .

[20]  H. Kaur,et al.  STRESS AMONG PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY , 2010 .

[21]  Vidhya Ravindranadan.  Adjustment and Attitude of Parents of Children with Mental Retardation , 2008 .

[22]  D. Procelli.  Effects of Music Therapy and Relaxation Prior to Breastfeeding on the Anxiety of New Mothers and the Behavior State of Their Infants during Feeding , 2005 .

[23]  J. Dumas,et al.  Parenting Stress, Child Behavior Problems, and Dysphoria in Parents of Children with Autism, Down Syndrome, Behavior Disorders, and Normal Development. , 1991 .