Caring Under Strain: Elevated Parental Stress in Families of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in an Urban Indian Setting
Authors/Creators
- 1. 1. Gurpreet Kaur (Corresponding Author) Developmental Paediatrics, Iris Clinic, Gurugram, Haryana India Orcid id:0000-0001-9188-2237 2. Gopal Agrawal Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology Cloudnine Hospitals (Sector 47 & sector 14), Gurugram (Haryana), India 3. Jayashankar Kaushik Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati, Assam, India 4. Manish Samnani Pediatric Occupational Therapy SOCH India, Gurugram, Haryana, India
Description
Objective: To determine the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) score in parents whose
children were diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and compare
it with the PSS score of parents of typically developing (TD) children.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study assessed parental stress levels
using the 18-item Parental Stress Scale (PSS), a self-reported tool, with each item
scored on a five-point Likert scale, total PSS score ranging from 18–90. Participants
were recruited through convenience sampling from four institutions in Gurgaon.
Parents of children with NDDs were enrolled from SOCH and Hope Brings Change,
while parents of TD children participated from Iris Clinic and Cloudnine Hospitals.
Each participant completed a demographic data form and PSS questionnaire.
Results: The study included 74 parents—39 with children having NDDs and
35 with TD children. Demographic profiles were almost similar between the
groups (except parental employment and child gender). The mean PSS score was
significantly higher in parents of children with NDDs (46.05 ± 8.86) compared to
those with TD children (34.51 ± 7.70). The mean difference of 11.54 (±1.93 SE;
95% CI: 7.70–15.38) was statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Parents of children with NDDs experience significantly elevated stress
levels compared to parents of TD children. This can negatively impact parental
well-being and hinder the emotional and behavioral development of their child.
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Additional details
Dates
- Accepted
-
2026-05-10
References
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