Determining of the stress level and the coping methods with stress of the parents of children with diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of genetic disorders

This study, a descriptive and cross-sectional one, has been done to determine both the stress level and capacity of coping with stress of the parents whose children have been monitored for the diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of genetic disorders. The sampling of the study includes 98 parents of children aging between 0 to 18 with the diagnosis or pre-diagnosis of genetic disorders in Baskent University Ankara Hospital Center for Genetic Disorders and Baskent University Ankara Hospital Pediatrics Service. The size of the sampling in the study has been determined according to the prevalence whereas the number of members in the sampling universe has been determined according to unknown sampling numbers.The data in the study have been collected between May 28, 2008 and January 20, 2009 through a questionnaire designed in line with the related literature through which the followings have been determined: socio-demographic features of the children and those of their parents, the distinctive characteristics of their disorder, a survey aiming at determining the emotional state of the parents whose children suffer from the genetic disorder, a scale evaluating the perceived stress level and another scale prepared for coping with the perceived stress.The data in the study have been transferred into SPSS program, version 15.0, and examined through descriptive statistics, independent-sample t-test, One Way ANOVA and linear regression.The result of the data analysis can be summarised as follows: It has been determined that all the parents were under stress; the non-working parents? stress level is higher than that of working parents (p<0.05). There is no statistically significant correlation between socio-demographic features and related disorder characteristics and stress level (p>0.05).It has been observed that the parents whose stress level is below average seem to be more self-confident, whereas those whose stress level is above average seem to be more fatalist and desperate (p<0.05). When the methods of their coping with stress and their being influenced by various variables have been analysed; mothers seems to be more desperate while fathers look more confident. The illiterate parents have very little confidence while the working parents seem to behave more self-confidently; nonworking parents appear to be more fatalist and desperate most of the time. If there is intermarriage between the parents, it affects their drive towards social support; if there is no intermarriage between parents look for more social support (p<0.05). There is no significance between the parents who found genetic counselling satisfactory and those who found it unsatisfactory in terms of coping with stress and level of stress (p>0.05).According to the results, the suggestions related to educating, supporting and directing the parents of those children in need of special care by the nurses have been taken into account in the study.Key Words: Genetic Disorders, child, parent, stress, coping,